Promenade
by Apple-chan
Summary: AU. Four couples, one perfect night...or is it? A 5-act tale on how four young men and four young women fall in love at the night of their Junior-Senior Prom...and the events that preceded it. YXA, RXP, LXJ, and HXT.
1. Act I, Scene 1: Favors

**Promenade  
by Apple-chan  
**  
Disclaimer: Will never be mine.  
  
Summary: Four couples, one perfect night...or is it? A 5-act tale on how four young men and four young women fall in love at the night of their Junior-Senior Prom. YXA, RXP, LXJ, and HXT.  
  
Warnings: None, except that it's AU. Also, PG-13 to be safe...and Hao.^^  
  
Dedicated to **Ami-chan**, a late reply to an early request (or was it a challenge?).  
  
  
**ACT I: On Your Mark.  
**  
  
_ SCENE 1: Favors._  
  
  
"No."  
  
The spiky, azure-haired editor-in-chief of _The Quill_ looked upon his friend with unhidden disdain and frustration. "Why NOT?" He brandished his arms forcefully in front of the younger boy, an obvious attempt to distract him from what he was currently doing.  
  
The navy-haired captain of the aikido club remained unfazed and resumed his katas, his face unnerved. "I have never dated a cheerleader in my whole life and I'm not going to start now."  
  
"She's not a cheerleader, she's my sister!" Was the passionate protest.  
  
An absent shrug. "Exactly. All the more reason NOT to date her."  
  
"You have no right to refuse me, Ren!"  
  
"On the contrary. I have every right." Ren replied tonelessly. "Why don't you ask someone else? Why not ask YOH? Or LYSERG?"  
  
"Yoh's already going with someone, and other than that, Pilica says he makes her nervous with that silly smile of his," his friend answered matter-of-factly. "...And Lyserg--he's always too busy to approach. And he's too polite for my sister. She'll eat him alive." He reasoned. "Besides, you're the only one she's ever been comfortable with," he added with a meaningful look.  
  
"Comfortable?" The comment was stated with an ironic laugh. "That's an understatement." With a few quick gestures of his hands and arms, and a final pose, Ren took a bow, and at last, the exercise was finished. "She tramples upon my dignity even WORSE than the way she tramples upon the hearts of her suitors, I'm sure you know."  
  
"Never mind that," his friend replied with a careless wave of a hand. "Just go with her to the prom. Please?"  
  
"Horo-horo, how many times do I have to say it? NO. " Ren sat down in a lotus position and closed his eyes serenely, clearly implying that the subject matter was closed.  
  
But Horo-horo wasn't one to be daunted. He sat down in front of his friend, slapped his cheeks, forcing his eyes open. The latter reluctantly relented, opening his eyes and gazing at the other boy with annoyance.  
  
"Come ON," Horo-horo wheedled. "You'll HAVE to come with her, otherwise, she won't be able to go."  
  
Ren rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "All the better." He wasn't even planning on going, come to think of it. Social functions involving drinks, dancing, and a whole lot of ear-splitting music were a complete waste of his time. He'd much rather stay at home and train. Training was, by far, the most crucial thing in the world, with school and studying coming a close second. Strict and regular training was what had made their school's aikido team the champion in the whole country for the last three years. Training was what _he_ lived for, and it was what he would die for.   
  
_And proms?_ He thought with disgust. Nothing but a mere...crease in his otherwise orderly living. One disordered piece of his life's puzzle--like this poor, hapless creature of a young man--part human, part feline, part hyena, part hare, and part...goodness knows what. Despite that (or perhaps because of all that), this creature known as Horo-horo was his friend, in all his weird glory.  
  
"She's never going to let me hear the end of it!" Said friend added desperately. "Even worse, she'll never let _either_ one of us hear the end of it! And you KNOW how bad she can get..."  
  
"Alright, alright," Ren said with an irritated sigh. Horo-horo's sister, being a cheerleader, had very strong vocal chords, which were more often used, not for cheering, but for scolding her brother...and her brother's friends. Primarily, _him_. "I'll go with her," he said without enthusiasm. He gave his friend a look. "Happy now?"  
  
"Thank YOU," Horo-horo exclaimed, outstretching his arms in an attempt to enfold his friend in a hug. The latter evaded said arms with a shudder.   
  
"Try that with me again and I'll KILL you, so help me God." Murder was evident in the tone of Ren's voice. "Is that clear?"  
  
"Very," Horo said quickly, flinching away from the Chinese junior, who tended to get violent when he didn't like something. Cautiously, he stood up. "Thanks again. I mean it." He gave his friend a grateful look.  
  
"Whatever." Ren frowned as his friend and sempai exited the dojo. "Where are you off to now?"  
  
"Back to the printing office. Your picture's on the front page of _The Quill_," Horo-horo added.  
  
"Really?" Ren said with interest.  
  
"Yeah. Hey, can you do me one more favor? You're done with training, right?"  
  
Ren sighed. "What?" He asked, knowing what was coming.  
  
"Pick my sister up after cheerleading practice and take her home for me." A frown. "I don't want her talking with her suitors again. Make sure they keep their hands off of her--ANY part of her," he added firmly. "Threaten them with death by means of castration if you have to." He gave his friend a pleading look. "Onegai?"  
  
Ren rolled his eyes. "Is that one of the other reasons why you're asking ME to take her to the prom?"  
  
Horo-horo shrugged sheepishly. "You got me."  
  
"Could you tell me again why I'm agreeing to this?"  
  
"Uh...because we're friends?"  
  
Ren raised an eyebrow. "You'll have to do better than that."  
  
"Um..." Horo-horo scratched his head, racking his brain for a plausible reason, "...because I keep a portfolio of embarrassing pictures of you and if you don't do this, I'll have them published on the paper?"  
  
"That's blackmail." Ren glared at him.  
  
"Yeah, I know." A sigh. "So just do this for me. As my friend. That sounds more ethical to me."  
  
"Like you've ever had any ethics." Ren sighed deeply as he stood up. "Anyway, I'll do everything you ask...but you owe me. Big time."  
  
  
  
TSUZUKU.


	2. Act I, Scene 2: She's the One

**Promenade  
by Apple-chan  
**  
Disclaimer: Will never be mine.  
  
Summary: Four couples, one perfect night...or is it? A 5-act tale on how four young men and four young women fall in love at the night of their Junior-Senior Prom. YXA, RXP, LXJ, and HXT.  
  
Warnings: None, except that it's AU. Also, PG-13 to be safe...and Hao.^^  
  
  
  
**ACT I: On Your Mark.  
**  
  
_ SCENE 2: She's the One._  
  
  
"Lyserg, I'm leaving her in your very capable hands." The music professor told the green-haired junior, and president of the music club.  
  
The young man nodded. "I'll get her ready for the concert, Professor Silverberg."  
  
George Silverberg shook his head. "You'll get her ready for the _prom_," he corrected. "She'll be singing."  
  
"Excuse me?" The young man glanced with surprise at the silvery-blue haired and ruby-eyed freshman who was sitting in front of the desk, examining a couple of music sheets. "Singing?"  
  
Silverberg smiled. "Yes. The administration has already approved. It will be quite a change from the previous promenades. A welcome change, I'm sure you'll agree. You'll be playing the piano as she sings."  
  
"_What_?" Lyserg couldn't hide the incredulity in his voice. He gave a small cough. "Pardon me, but sir...I haven't been informed of this."  
  
"Well, I'm informing you now." Silverberg clasped his hands on top of the table with satisfaction. "You should not worry about what your classmates will think. This young lady has a very beautiful voice, I'm sure you know. I am certain everyone who is present at the night of the promenade will think her better than any other band we might have hired." He paused, and added as an afterthought, "...and your piano skills are quite exceptional, as well."  
  
"Be that as it may," Lyserg stuttered, "sir, with all due respect...I think you're quite obviously forgetting that this is the _prom_, and--"  
  
"You will have the chance to mingle with your friends," the teacher assured him. "You'll only be playing half the time, anyway. For the rest of the night, somebody will be playing music...a disk jockey."  
  
"Who?"  
  
A smile. "Caesar." He paused. "He's taken some time off from work and would be happy to do it for the school, and for his fellow students."  
  
"Oh." Lyserg clearly remembered Caesar Silverberg: a senior with red hair, and Professor Silverberg's youngest son. He was skilled in music, and was a part-time disk jockey in famous clubs around Tokyo. "That's good, but sir...it's really not _that_ I'm worried about--"  
  
"Then what is it?" The teacher prompted.  
  
"Well...to tell you the truth, I wasn't even planning on coming to the prom myself--"  
  
"Then consider this a perfect opportunity, Lyserg," Silverberg said with a bright smile. "You were obviously meant to go. And you don't even have to bring a date. You already have--" he gestured meaningfully towards the freshman, "--her." He paused. "Isn't that right, Jeanne?"  
  
The freshman nodded without looking up, an obvious blush creeping to her cheeks. "If Lyserg-niichan...um, Lyserg-_sempai_ doesn't mind," she added quietly.  
  
"I don't...but..." Lyserg fought very hard to keep the horrified expression from grazing his face. The idea of him, a junior, dating a freshman--and _Jeanne_, no less--was unthinkable. Regardless of how well aware he was of her talents, and of who she was...the concept of dating her was somehow...somehow...  
  
_...Tempting._ He mentally kicked himself. He was attracted to the freshman, sure, but he wasn't about to go on exploring that attraction. Certainly not._ And why not? Because it's...a sin. Sinful. Yeah. _He glanced at his teacher.   
  
For some reason, the middle-aged man whom he had regarded as a father ever since he entered high school, never gave up on his attempts to match make Lyserg--his favorite student, no less--to every other eligible high school girl who sets foot in his music room.  
  
So far, his teacher had never succeeded. To give him credit, though, the professor usually made good selections in the girls--it was just that, try as he might,_ none_ of them had ever...really interested the young man. Fact is, no matter what effort he made (and Lyserg usually gave his effort just to be fair to Professor Silverberg) to get to know the girls, he just didn't..._click_ with any of them, so to speak.   
  
For example, there was that blonde girl, back in freshman year. She was beautiful, intelligent, and always at the top of her class. She _would_ have been perfect...except that (aside from the fact that he _really_ wasn't interested): for one, she was a year older (a sophomore at that time) than him; for another, when she somehow couldn't get what she wanted in a man, she becomes very, very,_ very_ scary.Anyway, although he would never ever think twice about dating her _ever_, being on...friendly terms with her was something he could live with.   
  
During sophomore year, Silverberg had yet again introduced him to a potential girlfriend--someone he actually knew and somewhat friends with--a pink-haired classmate of his. She was beautiful, intelligent, and usually alternated with him in topping every exam. She was also, above all else...extremely shy and quiet. But the thing is, _she_ was his_ friend, _and frankly, he wanted to keep everything that way...and he did, much to his old professor's chagrin.   
  
But Silverberg wasn't one to be daunted. Earlier this year, Lyserg was yet introduced to another potential girlfriend: a bubbly and lively sophomore cheerleader, who was beautiful as hell like the other two--with long, azure-blue hair and dark blue eyes. She was also extremely smart, a rare feat for cheerleaders, not that she was exactly a normal one. And never mind her strong personality, or her headache-inducing endless chatter--she could have been perfect..._if_ she wasn't the younger sister of one of his friends. That alone was scary enough, knowing how very protective his friend was of his younger sister.  
  
Obviously, though, Professor Silverberg wasn't one to give up. He was determined to get Lyserg a girlfriend (or at least, a prom date), no matter how much the young man refused...and now, here was Jeanne. _Jeanne._ The beautiful freshman with the angelic voice. She had the ability to mesmerize everyone, to be sure, but certainly no one has ever been affected as much as _he_ was.  
  
However, as far as that attraction goes, _he_ was still her senior, and she was a young woman, and on both of those terms, she deserved no less than the proper respect--one that he had been giving her for the length of time he has known her...and he has known her for quite a long time, having been living all his life in the same neighborhood where she resides. Anyway, he wasn't about to go over the borders, even though his seniority might warrant it.   
  
And as far as he knew, she didn't regard him as anything else except as an upperclassman _and _as an older brother anyway--that is, if the way she had addressed him earlier was any indication.  
  
"It's settled, then." His teacher's commanding voice interrupted his thoughts. "So...you two would be practicing in the next four weeks, I expect," he smiled at the freshman girl, and winked at Lyserg. "...Are we agreed?"  
  
Lyserg fought to keep the exasperation from lacing his tone. "Yes, sir."  
  
"Jeanne?"  
  
The freshman, who had continued to listen quietly as her professor and her senior conversed, finally looked up from the music sheets. "I will be here everyday without fail, sir." She replied serenely.  
  
The music teacher smiled. "Good." He rose up, closed the piano, and motioned for his two prized students to leave. "I'm looking forward to the prom...and to a couple of _other_ things besides," he added with a knowing grin at Lyserg.  
  
This time, the junior rolled his eyes as he stood up and approached the door. "We'll see you tomorrow, sir." He stepped back in surprise and muttered a brief apology as the freshman bumped into him.  
  
Jeanne held the music sheets tightly in her arms as she nodded slightly to acknowledge him, her cheeks slightly pink as she rushed out of the room.   
  
As Lyserg exited, he heard his teacher chuckling behind him.  
  
"Better not let her go, son. I think she's the one."  
  
Lyserg exhaled. "You say that with all of them," he muttered as he left.  
  
  
  
TSUZUKU.  
  
  
  
_Review Replies:_ **Isis Hotep**, yep, LXJ is LysergXJeanne, if you noticed from this chapter. **Fangboy**, yes, this is my very first attempt at AU. I'll be working on the two remaining side fics soon, and my first priority is the HoroXTamao one. **Ami-chan**, you're the genius behind this idea, really, so I thank you.;) **GoddessLD**, **skaurali sweetheart**, **KristiexxNguyen**, **fire dagger**, **A. o. G**, and to my dear **yuri maxwell**, thanks for the reviews! To everyone else who reviewed after that, thanks as well.=) 


	3. Act I, Scene 3: Knight in Shining Armor

**Promenade  
by Apple-chan  
**  
Disclaimer: Will never be mine.  
  
Summary: Four couples, one perfect night...or is it? A 5-act tale on how four young men and four young women fall in love at the night of their Junior-Senior Prom. YXA, RXP, LXJ, and HXT.  
  
Warnings: None, except that it's AU. Also, PG-13 to be safe...and Hao.^^  
  
  
  
**ACT I: On Your Mark.  
**  
  
_ SCENE 3: Knight in Shining Armor_.  
  
  
"Hot off the press!" The pink-haired managing editor of _The Quill_ slapped their latest issue with a flourish on top of the editor-in-chief's table.  
  
Said person choked on a mouthful of Lay's Sour Cream and Onion as all the papers on his desk went flying subsequently after the new issue of _The Quill_ landed on it. His face went from red to purple as he coughed, hacked, coughed, and finally, managed to swallow, after a forceful blow was delivered to his back. "Thanks," he managed hoarsely, grabbing the can of Sprite that was offered to him and subsequently chugging down the contents.   
  
The managing editor watched her senior with an amused smile on her face. She sat down on top of his table and watched him as he examined the newest issue of their school paper. Except for the two of them, the printing office was completely empty. The rest of the staff had all left around thirty minutes ago.  
  
"...Okay, let's see..." he muttered under his breath, perusing the publication with the intricate eye of a news reporter. "Who the HELL wrote this?" He pointed to the gossip column.  
  
"You did," the managing editor informed him.  
  
"Oh yeah." Horo-horo scratched his head in puzzlement. "_That's_ why it sounds like trash...hmm, the cover story's quite good, though. Who wrote it?"  
  
"Well...me." The managing editor admitted. "But you did the research," she added quickly.  
  
"I did? Really?" He scratched his chin thoughtfully. "What about the literary section? It always manages to be good, somehow..."  
  
"Lyserg Diethyl heads the writers of that section, Sempai. Why don't you read the staff box? Everything's written there." She added helpfully.  
  
"Oh...yeah..." Horo-horo sighed with resignation. He looked up helplessly at the pink-haired junior. "Tamao, could you tell me again HOW I managed to land the editorial position for our school paper? I mean, I don't even KNOW how this whole thing works..."  
  
Tamao smiled and shook her head. Then, she snatched the paper from his hands, flipped it open to the final sections and placed it in front of him. "Because of THESE," she pointed to the row of news.  
  
"Sports?" He scrunched up his face blankly...but after a few minutes his eyes lighted. "Oh yeah! The sports news!"  
  
Tamao nodded, smiling again. "Yamamoto-sensei told us at the start of the school year: Lyserg and I are to take care of the technical stuff, and you'll be in charge of sports, leisure, and entertainment. Mostly sports, because you know all about it, being a _star_ soccer player and all."  
  
"_Former_ star soccer player," Horo-horo corrected, remembering, bitterly, his injured knee, which had prevented him from playing for the rest of his senior year... "But that still doesn't justify why they named me--"  
  
"Chief? Because you're good at PR. Face it, Sempai. Most of the student body read the paper because of you. Your stories may be...how does Lyserg say it...erroneous when it comes to grammar and all that, but they're lively, detailed, and more importantly...accurate. We've learned a thing or two from you." Tamao added.  
  
Horo-horo blushed at this obvious praise. "Why do you have so much faith in me?"  
  
The managing editor could only smile. "Because you're good at this. Lyserg thinks so, too. And Yamamoto-sensei. Otherwise, she never would have entrusted the job to you. She would have given it to--"  
  
"Lyserg." A sigh. "I think the only reason she gave the job to me was because Lyserg's already got his hands full with all the school clubs he's heading."  
  
"Regardless of that," Tamao countered. "You were _named_ the editor-in-chief. There's got to have been some trust involved when you were chosen."  
  
"...Yeah." A wide smile broke out of the young man's face. "I guess you're right."   
  
"Uh-huh. I am."  
  
A couple of minutes passed as Horo-horo continued scanning the paper, all the while gazing at Tamao--who had produced a book from her purse and was beginning to flip through its pages--at the corner of his eye.   
  
_Okay, okay, think...think! _   
  
_There's gotta be some way you can ask her the question without looking stupid. There's gotta be some way you can ask her casually so she wouldn't think a thing of it. _   
  
_I mean, she's in LOVE with YOH, and God knows that and the whole world knows that and she probably wants him to ask her but we all know he's not going to, and since YOU wanna go with her, you should ask her, Horo-horo. But the thing is, you DON'T wanna let her know that you...LIKE her. _   
  
_Well...there's gotta be a way through that...  
  
Right? _He glanced down and found himself gazing at a smirking picture of Ren holding the National Martial Arts Championship Tournament trophy. _Urk, no good. Seeing him like that doesn't give me ideas, it gives me the creeps._  
  
Drumming his fingers casually against the paper, he raised his head ever-so-slightly. "Hey...Tamao?"  
  
"Sempai?" The pink-haired junior looked up from her book with a welcoming smile. _God, she's got a pretty smile..._  
  
_Wait. What was I supposed to say again?_  
  
_...Crap._ He mentally kicked himself. _One roundhouse kick, straight on your head, coming right up._  
  
Punishing himself didn't do him much good, unfortunately. "Did I...ever tell you how much I love you?" He mentally kicked himself again. _You know, you're not making sense anymore. You were ONLY supposed to ask her to the PROM, not confess your love to her...NOT that you ever really would, anyway..._  
  
She turned away from him, but he could swear that there was a faint blush staining her cheeks. "Once or twice every time we publish a new issue, I think," she told him in a slightly breathless tone.  
  
Horo-horo found himself sighing with relief. _Once or twice. You do that once or twice. Right. So it doesn't mean a thing. Right, right. Good. Now remember the prom. Make it casual. Say it in stride, you're good with that!_  
  
"Umm...well, I do. I love you." He fought the urge to hurl himself against the wall, injured knee be damned. Strange, his tongue never seems to agree with his brain and his heart every time Tamao was with him.  
  
"T...thanks," her voice was shaky. There was an odd expression on her face that he couldn't make out. Was she actually contemplating what he just said...? _Crap...crap...crap!_  
  
"I mean, I love you too." This time, she gave him a bright, warm smile.  
  
_What the--?_ Horo-horo couldn't believe his ears. _Is she SERIOUS? I mean--_  
  
"...You know, since eleven years ago. When you saved me from those bullies when I was on my way home from school," she sighed wistfully at the memory. "I've never had an older brother. I mean, until Hao-niisan and..." her cheeks pinked at this declaration, "...Yoh-niisan moved...but before that, it was always just Anna-neechan and me," she added, referring to her older cousin. "Then, you came along like a knight in shining armor, saved me from the monsters...and suddenly, I had a brother! And not just a brother, but also...a best friend," she proclaimed, patting his cheek fondly. "That's why I love you."  
  
Horo-horo fought the redness from rising to his face as he savored the warmth of her touch, all the while trying to suppress the sinking feeling that was hovering inside his heart. "Oh. That," he forced a smile on his face. _Guess I should have known. I never should have expected anything more, because there's nothing more. She loves Yoh. I'm her BROTHER and her best friend, period, discussion over._  
  
_I...guess that's better than nothing..._  
  
"Anyway," she crossed her legs, rested her chin on her hand and gave him an expectant look. "Aside from the I love you...what else were you going to tell me?"  
  
Horo-horo looked up at her; and then, he frowned deeply at the latest issue of _The Quill_, wondering if there was some way, somehow, that the school paper could help him out with his current predicament. "I think this is ready for distribution," he announced, tapping the broadsheet on his desk.  
  
Tamao nodded. "I'll get the sophomores to distribute them early tomorrow morning. And I think I'll call Lyserg; he said something about wanting a copy before everyone else sees it..." she added in a murmur.  
  
"G...good, then..." he declared, his frown evolving into a dark glare. He had been staring at the paper for _five_ minutes and still, not a single idea was coming to him. Maybe what he was doing was pointless. _I need ideas, dammit! Give me ideas, Quill!_  
  
And suddenly, his eyes paused at the top, in small print on the front page: 

_JS Prom Date Announced_. _Details on page 5_.

_ BINGO._  
  
"I've got it!" He shouted suddenly.  
  
Startled, Tamao gazed at him queerly. "What? What have you got?"  
  
He grinned. "The prom."  
  
She blushed. "W...what about it?"  
  
"Our cover story for our next issue--our _special_ issue," he began, "will be a play-by-play of prom events." He grinned again, mentally patting himself on the back for the idea. "...AND we'll be working on it together. You and me."  
  
Tamao swallowed. "T...together?" She repeated.  
  
"Yep." Horo-horo gave her a dazzling grin. _You're a genius, man. A true genius._ "Together." He gazed at her meaningfully. "That means you'll have to come with me to the prom. Be my date, so to speak," he declared.  
  
"Your date?" She said nervously. "But--"  
  
"Tamao, please don't say no," he pleaded, giving her his best and sincerest hopeful puppy-dog look. "It's for the paper. It's for the _school_," he emphasized.  
  
Tamao nodded slowly, a thoughtful and contemplative expression mirrored on her face. "O...okay."  
  
_Goal! Horo-horo scores!_ "Excellent!" He gave her a really big grin as he stood up. "You have one month to prepare. As I do." With a final, playful wink, he stepped out of the room, whistling tunelessly. _I'm good. I am SO good. Horo-horo, he's our man, if he can't do it, no one can!_  
  
Meanwhile, inside the room, the young woman stared back at her senior in aghast, wondering if she had really just agreed to what she thought she had agreed on.  
  
"What have I gotten myself into?" She wondered out loud._  
_   
  
  
TSUZUKU.  
  
  
  
_Review Replies_: **Crystal-Fairie** and **GoddessLD**, thanks for the reviews. **mee-sun-kyoyama**, thanks for loving my fics! Why can't you post? I'd love to see what you've written. **Keiko**, thank you =) Maybe you can email me one of these days, ne? **Isis Hotep**, I hope you don't get too annoyed at Professor Silverberg. It's just that Lyserg's his favorite student, and he tends to get a little obsessed.^^;;; **chibi**, coming up after this is the YohXAnna, don'tcha worry.=) **Nezumi-chan**, you LIVE! *glompshugsandkisses* daddy Hao'll be appearing soon, yepyep. ** SkyDancerHawk**, yep, HXT is HoroXTamao, as you probably noticed from this chapter.=) **Iudex Acerbus**, the characters' ages range from 14 to 17, so Jeanne's 14, Pilica's 15, Ren, Lyserg and Tamao are 16, and Yoh, Anna, Horo-horo and Hao are the oldest at 17. I'm also using the Western high school format, which is four years (as opposed to the 3-year senior high school of the Japanese). Hope that clears it up.=) **Sheo Darren**, yep, we're all rooting for it to work...and it will, trust the Professor*wink, wink*. **Reen**, bug me more and maybe I'll make a normal Luc and Sarah appear here.=) Hehehe...  



	4. Act I, Scene 4: Mutual Understanding

**Promenade  
by Apple-chan  
**  
Disclaimer: Will never be mine.  
  
Summary: Four couples, one perfect night...or is it? A 5-act tale on how four young men and four young women fall in love at the night of their Junior-Senior Prom. YXA, RXP, LXJ, and HXT.  
  
Warnings: None, except that it's AU. Also, PG-13 to be safe...and Hao.^^  
  
  
  
**ACT I: On Your Mark.  
**  
  
_ SCENE 4: Mutual Understanding_.  
  
  
A spiky-haired brunette wearing orange headphones peeked cautiously from behind the widest bookcase in the library, his eyes scanning the whole area...and finally, pausing to rest upon his beautiful blonde-haired classmate, who was standing beside a row of books and examining a thick volume of Funk and Wagnall's Encyclopedia of Science.  
  
Said blonde looked up suddenly, turned her head and glanced at her side, with a decidedly annoyed expression on her face.  
  
"Eeep!" The brunette exclaimed, hiding his face behind a leather-bound edition of Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. He leaned against the side of the bookcase and groaned mentally. Funny, with all his power as a senior, as Asakura Yoh, _and_ most especially as the student council president, there was one person he couldn't quite...order around, no matter how hard he tried. Truth be told, he never really ordered anyone around, they just all tended to follow his bidding; one simple smile was all it took. If his smile doesn't work, his easygoing laugh would do wonders, for sure. Regardless, though, there was this certain human being who was immune to his charms.  
  
Said person was Kyouyama Anna, senior class representative AND the student council's ruling committee head. HIS committee's head. Although he was president, _she_ was the one who controlled the whole council. She was the one who ordered everybody around. Most of all, she was the one who ordered HIM around--she was the one who controlled HIM--in more ways than one.  
  
In fact, he often wondered if the reason why she supported him during the elections instead of running for office herself was because she had intended to head his main committee so that she could order him around. She probably enjoyed ordering him around...not that he was complaining, because she would certainly have something to say if he ever complained. Not that he EVER would, of course. No, he certainly wouldn't--  
  
"Hey! Yoh! Psst! LITTLE BROTHER!" The spiky-haired brunette, who we now know as Yoh, gave another mental groan as a long-haired, ear-pierced, non-uniformed version of himself popped beside him, and subsequently settled himself against the bookcase, all the while speaking loudly, while chewing a Bazooka Bubblegum. "WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT? OR SHOULD I SAY, WHO?"  
  
Yoh turned red.  
  
The snooty library assistant glared at the long-haired non-conformist. "SILENCE! This is a LIBRARY!"  
  
"PUT A LID ON IT, DORK!"  
  
"Keep SILENT or I'm going to have you SUSPENDED, I SWEAR I WILL!" The dork...er, library assistant threatened.  
  
"Oh YEAH?" The person being addressed blew his bubblegum and popped it annoyingly. "You and WHAT army?"  
  
"Why YOU--" The library assistant's face turned red with anger.  
  
"Hao! Oniichan! Stop it!" Yoh hissed, pulling his twin aside, while at the same time flashing an apologetic look at the library assistant.   
  
Somewhat appeased, said person shook his head, glared one last time at his offender, and resumed with his duties at the front desk, all the while still keeping a cautious eye at their school's resident rule breaker and troublemaker, who, as fate would have it, also happened to be the student council president's older twin brother.  
  
"Otouto, are you PEEPING at the Ice Queen again?" Hao stared at his brother with disbelief. "Is that ALL you can DO?"  
  
"N...no, of course not!" Yoh protested in a quiet voice. "I was actually looking for the perfect time to approach her--" he peeked once more at where he was last gazing at her, beside the row of Funk and Wagnall's. He found the area devoid of the blonde-haired object of his affections. "Aargh, she's GONE! Darn it!"  
  
"Did I ruin it for you?" Hao's face held a slightly apologetic look. "Gomen ne..."  
  
"It's not your fault." Yoh shook his head vehemently. "She's so hard to catch anywhere! I've tried to approach her at home, but I always lose my nerve, and now...I've been trying to talk to her for the past hour, but she's just so..." he sighed helplessly. "She's so--"  
  
"Prickly?" Hao supplied.  
  
"No. More like--"  
  
"Touchy?" Hao offered.  
  
"No, not quite. It's kind of like..." Yoh frowned, somewhat at a loss for words. "Like...uh--"  
  
"_Angry_?" A sharp, female voice sounded from behind the twins.  
  
"AAHHH!" The two shrieked, stumbled, and simultaneously fell to the floor, with Yoh on top of Hao, holding on to him for dear life.  
  
"Ah...Anna..." Yoh stuttered, his arms around his brother's neck, practically strangling him, his body frozen in fear.  
  
"I...Ice Qu...Queen," Hao choked, managing a mocking grin on his face even as he wrestled his brother off of him.  
  
The young woman being addressed crossed her arms against her chest, trying to fight back the amused smile that threatened to come out of her face as she gazed at the two of them. "Are you just about DONE spying on ME?" She threw this question at Yoh.  
  
"Uh-huh," he answered automatically, flashing another apologetic look at the snooty library assistant (who looked just about ready to throw him and his brother out, student council position and seniority be damned), before turning back to his council's main committee head. "I'm done," he added meekly.  
  
"Good." Anna then threw a warning glare in Hao's direction.  
  
The long-haired brunette arched an eyebrow in inquiry.  
  
The blonde arched an eyebrow back. This one held a whole world of meaning.  
  
Taking the hint, Hao gave a dramatic sigh, and gently untangled himself from his brother. "I'll be going now," he announced with the unnatural cheerfulness that was his trademark. With a regal air, he stood up and strutted towards the front desk. As he opened the entrance door, he produced a cigarette from his pocket, lighted it, and promptly smoked it in the library assistant's face.  
  
That did it. Said assistant turned a dark and scary shade of red. "No SMOKING in the LIBRARY. No SMOKING at SCHOOL!" He screamed.  
  
Hao chuckled. "Who's going to stop me? YOU?" He mocked. Then, he turned to his brother, all the while still calmly puffing on his cigarette and continuously annoying the library assistant, who was now turning purple. "I'll see you at HOME, Otouto! And I want DETAILS, you HEAR?" Before the library assistant even got close to him, he zoomed out and shut the door behind him.  
  
Inside, the assistant seethed silently, very much disappointed that he hadn't been able to even at least lay a hand on the hair of Asakura Hao. He continued to glare off into space, muttering under his breath about long-haired abominations to society who had no respect for authority figures, and the unfortunate ties of blood that constantly kept them out of detention, suspension, and expulsion. Life was so unfair.  
  
Meanwhile, with as much dignity as he could muster, the honorable student council president, known to his friends as Yoh, and known to Kyouyama Anna as "Baka," rose up from the floor and straightened himself in front of the object of his affections. "Sorry," he said sheepishly.  
  
Anna nodded absently, silently appraising him from head to toe. "What did you want to talk to me about?"  
  
Yoh's mind snapped into focus, and, losing his nerve, he shook his head. "Nothing. I'm going now. Ja!" He jumped across from Anna and began to run away...but a pair of hands grabbed at his shirt.  
  
"If you've got something to say, _say it_," Anna ordered, pulling him forcefully back and gazing at him expectantly.  
  
"Umm..." Yoh looked around him for a possible getaway. "I was going to ask if...uh...you had this morning's Classical Literature notes? Because I, uh, fell asleep."  
  
Anna rolled her eyes to the ceiling as she dug into her purse. "Here," she slammed her notebook against his chest.  
  
"Thanks." Yoh coughed, placing the notebook inside his backpack.  
  
"Sure. Anything else?"  
  
"No. Nothing. See ya!" He started to escape again, but she backed him to a corner before he could move.  
  
"Now," she began, "...I'll ask _again_," her tone was low, and threatening. "Anything ELSE?" She gave him a warning, penetrating look.  
  
Yoh winced. There's no getting out of this one for him, not anymore. He gulped. "Uh...actually, I..." he hesitated. "I wanted to ask you...uh..." he gulped again. Three more times.  
  
After about five minutes of stalling, the blonde lost her patience. She took a leaflet out of her purse and shoved it into his face. "Does it have anything to do with THIS?" Said leaflet was an early advertisement for the Junior-Senior Prom.  
  
He glanced at the leaflet, then nodded vigorously.  
  
Anna frowned. With an exasperated exhale, she grabbed his shirt, cupped his chin, and pointedly gazed into his eyes.   
  
Yoh tried to look away, but she had him imprisoned in her gaze. He held his breath. He could practically hear the sweat popping out of his forehead from sheer nervousness.  
  
She often did this just to get him to confess his sins...because for the length of time that they've known each other, and the seven years that they've been living under the same roof, he was practically transparent to her, and could often tell how he feels and what he was thinking. She knew him far too much...and more often than not, she used that to get what she wanted from him. He knew well when it happens. Hell, he knew it _very_ well, what she was trying to do...and he was powerless to stop it. Besides, even he tried, he probably wouldn't live long enough to know the result of his objection. She could get _extremely_ dangerous when provoked.  
  
It was one of the reasons why he liked her so much, actually. Strange as it may seem, but then again, Yoh had weird taste...  
  
Five more minutes later, he started breathing again as she broke eye contact with him. He could tell from the expression on her face that she'd figured out what he had done. "Gomen ne..."  
  
"So," she began in a tone that betrayed no emotion, "...You've announced to the whole male population of the SCHOOL that you and I are going to the prom together."  
  
"It wasn't ME!" He protested. "It was _Hao_. _He_ was the one who--"  
  
"It's fine."  
  
"--announced it to the whole team after Kendo training, and then THEY were the ones who--" he paused, not quite sure if he heard her right. "What?"  
  
Anna rolled her eyes. "I SAID, it's FINE. I'll go with you."  
  
Yoh's eyes lit up. "REALLY?" _Damn, I really thought she was going to get angry...but she didn't!_  
  
An exasperated sigh. "Yes, REALLY." She slapped him forcefully on the back. "Now go away. I'm busy."  
  
_...Ouch. _He gave her a sheepish smile and scratched his head as he stumbled forward.   
  
She rolled her eyes at him again and shook her head as she walked away.  
  
_Omedetto gozaimasu, Asakura Yoh,_ he cheered silently, patting himself mentally on the back as he watched her retreating form with a big, goofy grin on his face.  
  
  
  
TSUZUKU.  
  
  
  
_Review Replies: _ **bOw-doWn-tO-KeiKO**, thank you, thank you.=) Update on Vestige? We're on it...kind of.*sweatdrop* **Sheo Darren**, amen to that.=) Hope you'll be able to update your fic soon! And oh yeah...Belated Happy Birthday to you!^^ **yuri maxwell**, I wrote the previous chap with you in mind, so...you inspired me, is what I can say.=) **KristiexxNguyen**, **Itako No Anna Asakura**, and **chibi**, here's the YohXAnna you've been waiting for! **GoddessLD**, yes, Horo-horo _ is _smart, ne?=) **Naoko Asakura**, glad you liked it! And thanks for the encouragement! **Hinote Kitsune Nikore**, as long as they're not really bound by blood, it's not really wrong. At least, that's what I think. As for Hao...well, you'll see.=)


	5. Act I, Scene 5: Headache

**Promenade  
by Apple-chan  
**  
Disclaimer: Will never be mine.  
  
Summary: Four couples, one perfect night...or is it? A 5-act tale on how four young men and four young women fall in love at the night of their Junior-Senior Prom. YXA, RXP, LXJ, and HXT.  
  
Warnings: None, except that it's AU. Also, PG-13 to be safe...and Hao.^^  
  
  
  
**ACT I: On Your Mark.  
**  
  
_ SCENE 5: Headache_.  
  
  
Tao Ren was leaning against the wall beside the ladies' locker room, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for Horo-horo's dear darling little sister to finish bathing, talking, primping, talking, primping, talking, or whatever the hell she may be doing inside that room, for he could certainly hear a lot of giggles. Cheerleading practice had ended about forty-five minutes ago, and now, the girls were preparing to go home.  
  
True to his word, Ren came to do as he was asked--pick up Pilica after cheerleading practice, and subsequently take her home, warding off any suitors who happened to come by along the way, and threatening them with death by means of castration if they dared to even breathe a single strand of her hair. As of his latest count, he'd managed to drive off fourteen boys, the latest one being a group of five guys--two freshmen and three sophomores--just by a mere cracking of his knuckles. Of course, it didn't hurt that he was known throughout school as a champion aikido master. He hid a grin as he caught sight of the latest issue of _The Quill_ at a nearby bench. His best photograph yet. Tamao certainly knew how to handle a camera--that particular shot showed off his best features quite astonishingly.  
  
He glanced impatiently at his watch. Fifty minutes now. He sighed. _How long does a GIRL take when she showers, anyway?_ He fought the urge to open the door and grab Pilica, never mind the state of undress she happened to be in. It wasn't like anyone would be looking at her after school anyway; almost everyone had gone home already.  
  
He glanced suspiciously as a group of eight boys--three sophomores, two juniors and three seniors--passed him by...and subsequently paused right in front of the ladies' locker room, just a couple of feet from where he was. They alternated glancing at their watches and at the door, clearly indicating that they were waiting for the GIRLS to come out of the said room.  
  
Ren frowned. He wasn't going to allow that. No way in HELL.   
  
Cracking his knuckles, he approached the group. "What are you doing out here, guys?" The two juniors in the group winced and looked down. He knew them from his class: two losers who never paid attention to lessons and who constantly flunked out of every exam. One thing about Ren was, he was as devoted to school as he was to sports and martial arts. He studied very well, consistently making it into the top five of the junior class. Most of the time he placed third, directly after Lyserg, who usually came first; and Tamao, who almost always made it to second.  
  
Anyway, even if his hard, withering stare was enough to drive out the two juniors, it didn't do a thing to the three seniors, but that was to be expected. What he was extremely surprised at was, the three sophomores didn't even so much as flinch, either. Well, he wasn't about to give up. He gave his word to Horo-horo, and a true martial artist never backs down once he gives his word to his friends.  
  
He kind of surmised why the remaining six guys wouldn't back down, though. They probably didn't know who he was (some students never bothered to read the school paper), and figured him as merely one of their...rivals for one of the cheerleaders' affections. Either that, or they were too blind to notice that he was in his martial arts uniform and he could do them some serious damage if they weren't careful.  
  
Anyway, he tried again, by means of a greeting. "Who are you all visiting?" He asked, seeing that they never answered his earlier question.  
  
And that was when the six boys looked up.  
  
Ren thanked the gods of the high heavens for small favors like puberty. He used to be quite...short and skinny in his early teens...up until he was fifteen, in fact. But saints be praised, just over the summer, with a little help from his family's private gym, lots of food, a lot of training, and a LOT of milk, he'd managed to get enough bulk and more than enough height to gain a little respect from his peers. A little more was all he needed--his temper and his ability inside the rink of martial arts, even without the height, gave him eighty percent of respect. Now, he had two hundred. Almost.  
  
As the six boys gazed at him, appraised him from head to toe, he crossed his arms and frowned. Now he definitely knew it. These guys thought that he was just a mere suitor of one of the cheerleaders. "Would any of you MIND answering my QUESTION?" His voice held a note of threat, one that he didn't bother hiding. All amount of threat was necessary at this point, if he wanted to drive these guys away.  
  
One of the seniors had the gall to smirk. "We're visiting Pilica-_chan_. What about YOU?" He glanced at his companions and the three of them snickered. The three sophomores followed likewise, even though they didn't know what in the name of hell was so funny.  
  
Ren rolled his eyes to the ceiling. _This_ is what Pilica's passel of suitors were all made of--clear idiots. _Airheads._ The girl certainly had the worst taste in men. And to think that she was one of the smartest girls in her class--just hanging around the top ten--or so Horo-horo had said. For his part, Horo-horo always managed to stay just at the border of the top twenty--but that was because he constantly argued with his professors about every little detail in his exams, and he never bothered to study. Anyway, obviously Horo-horo knew what he was talking about when he asked Ren to get rid of Pilica's suitors--no doubt _he_ was afraid _they_ would be able to influence _her_ with their...stupidity.  
  
And Pilica-_chan..._clearly, these guys had no respect for her, possibly none for women in general. The way one of those seniors said her name was...loaded with testosterone, something which Ren _definitely_ didn't like. He clenched his teeth. Was Horo-horo's sister giving out herself to these men? He shook his head. He hoped to God not. No matter how noisy and annoying she is, Pilica is a nice, decent girl. She isn't easy, she isn't lascivious, she isn't promiscuous, and she certainly isn't a _slut_! She's clean, pure, and innocent..._isn't she?_  
  
He shook his head. _Of course she is._ _These guys are the ones with the perversion problem, not her. She just happens to like the attention, and she happens to like being thought of as beautiful, that's all...  
_   
He gave another sigh. He was starting to get a headache. He had to get rid of these six suitors, or his overactive mind was going to be the end of him. He didn't even know why he was so concerned about Pilica's welfare. She was just Horo-horo's sister. She didn't mean anything to him. Just another task he was responsible for, that was all.  
  
A task which was causing him a splitting headache--yeah, that's what she was. A headache.  
  
Glancing at the six suitors, he cracked his knuckles again and flexed his arms and neck. "You know, there's something I've been wanting to do ever since you guys set foot near this door..." he inclined his head at the locker room door, the threat never leaving his voice.  
  
"...And what's that?" The same senior who had answered him earlier had the COURAGE to speak again. And again, the voice was laced with a note of mockery.  
  
A _lot_ of mockery.  
  
And that was when he snapped.   
  
_By God, nobody mocks Tao Ren and gets away with it! _  
  
Eight seconds flat--that was the time he used up taking out the six suitors. One second for each guy--two seconds each for two of the seniors who were brave enough to fight back, but of course, to no avail. He was far stronger and way, way faster than all of them put together.   
  
As he stepped away from the bodies of his six victims who were now groaning in pain, he glanced at his watch--and managed a small groan.   
  
He had been waiting ONE HOUR FLAT and still, Pilica hadn't come out of that darned locker room.  
  
_That's it! If she doesn't come out after three seconds, I'm going to open that door and drag her out of there!  
_   
_Three, two, one..._just as he was making a move to place his hand on the doorknob, the door opened.  
  
An ear-splitting shriek pierced through his brain, intensifying his headache, as if it wasn't already bad enough. "Ouch..." he massaged his head forcefully, trying to alleviate the throbbing in his skull. Even amidst his pain-hazed mind, he recognized the timbre of that shriek. _Pilica._  
  
At the corner of his eye, he saw Horo-horo's sister kneeling down in front of his six victims. "Hiroshi-kun! Sano-kun! Miko-kun! Itsuki-sempai! Mori-sempai! Kadzu-sempai! What happened to you? WHO did this to you?"  
  
The six boys groaned, and simultaneously pointed behind Pilica. The beautiful, azure-haired sophomore stood up and turned around.  
  
"YOU!" She pointed an accusing finger at Ren.  
  
"ME," he muttered absently, grimacing as the pain in his head throbbed again.  
  
"Why...YOU..." She placed her hands on her hips, inclined her head at the six injured bodies on the floor. "Why...what did you do THAT FOR?!?"  
  
Rubbing his face free of dizziness caused by his headache, he shrugged. "I'm doing your brother a favor."  
  
"Oniichan?" Her face was the picture of disbelief. "Oniichan asked you to beat up my FRIENDS for ME?"  
  
"Yep," he glanced at her long enough to appraise what she was wearing. He sighed with relief. It was the school uniform, and it was decent as hell. _Good. I thought I was going to have to...wait a minute, her SKIRT is TOO SHORT! Dammit..._ "What do think you're WEARING? You are NOT going out in THAT!"  
  
She glared at him, dark blue eyes flashing. "Don't change the subject, you...BULLY! Why did you beat up my friends?"  
  
"I told you. It's a favor for your brother. You should be _thanking_ me, not _shouting_ at me," he muttered without looking up. He was still staring at her legs. She _did_ have pretty legs. No wonder she liked showing them off. They were smooth, and white, and long, and shapely..._darn it, Ren, what are you THINKING? _He shook his head and looked up, forced himself to focus._ Focus on her face...there. _"You should thank me. I saved you from possibly catching their disease."  
  
"My friends aren't sick!" She protested. "They're perfectly healthy, and...what disease?"  
  
"STUPIDITY," he shouted, loud enough for the six boys to hear. The pain in his head started to throb again. "Ouch. I need an aspirin." He muttered, clutching at his forehead. "Pilica, pack your things already. We have to go."  
  
"Go?" She poked her finger at him. "We're not going ANYWHERE until you help my friends!"  
  
"They'll be fine. I just gave them a mild stomachache. They don't need to go to a hospital or anything. I NEED an aspirin," he said with emphasis, holding the girl gently by the shoulder. "Come on. Walk me to the doctor's office, then I'll take you home. I told your brother I would." He added as an afterthought, "and pull down your skirt; it's too short."  
  
"No." She shrugged his hand off and walked away. "I'm not going with you." She crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a stubborn look.  
  
_Oh, for god's sakes!_ He groaned, mentally banging himself against the nearest wall. _Now she chooses this time to be difficult._ The headache was beginning to split his skull. _Horo-horo, you owe me a VERY big favor._ Suppressing the pain, he walked threateningly towards Pilica. "You're going with me whether you like it or not," he said in a low tone.  
  
"No." She didn't move from her place at the corner wall.  
  
"Dammit." He muttered under his breath. He realized he had no other option. With the swift strides of an athlete and a martial artist, he stepped inside the locker room, grabbed the bags he knew for sure were hers (they were azure blue as opposed to all the pink purses that were surely her friends'), ignored the shrieks of the other girls, got out, grabbed her, and promptly threw her over his shoulder like a sack.  
  
"HEY!" She protested, forcefully struggling from his grasp. He was holding her too tightly. "Put me down! Ren-niichan, put me down this INSTANT!"  
  
"Only if you promise to behave." He told her sternly.  
  
"WHY SHOULD I?!?"  
  
He shrugged. "Suit yourself."  
  
"...Alright, alright, I'll be GOOD! Just put me DOWN!"  
  
Sighing, he obliged.   
  
He grabbed her by the waist when she tried to run away again. "Behave," he told her firmly as he held her tightly against him.   
  
She slapped her fist against his chest, stamped on his foot and gave him another stubborn look.  
  
Sighing once more, he realized he had no other option. Slinging her bags over one of his shoulders, he placed her down on the floor...and promptly swept her off her feet and cradled her in his arms, all the while ignoring her shrieking protests and struggles. It was quite an awkward position, but he realized it would have to do--for now.  
  
She stuck her tongue out at him. "Meanie."  
  
He smiled with amusement. "Thank you."  
  
She punched him on the stomach. He fought the urge to groan. She had a mean punch, for a girl. "If you don't want me throwing you over my shoulder again, STOP moving." He added with a warning look. "And hold on tightly. You wouldn't want to fall now, would you?"  
  
She pouted, then reluctantly wrapped her arms around his neck securely.  
  
He managed a small smile. "That's better." He paused for a moment, remembering something, and then, turned to the six suitors who were still lying on the ground. "HEY, YOU RUNTS!" he shouted.  
  
Six simultaneous groans met his ears.  
  
"If I EVER see you hovering over PILICA-_CHAN_ again, I will tear EACH AND EVERYONE of you apart PIECE BY PIECE, and throw you to the depths of INFERNO--oh, excuse me," he rolled his eyes, remembering that he was talking to a bunch of airheads, "to the depths of HELL." He said this in his most threatening tone. "GOT THAT?"  
  
He smiled with satisfaction as another chorus of groans which sounded like "yes" met his ears.  
  
"GOOD." Then, he started walking again, cradling his friend's younger sister in his arms.   
  
They were halfway down the hall, just a little bit further to the doctor's office when he suddenly remembered the _other_ favor Horo-horo asked. The _slightly _bigger favor. With a resigned sigh, he tapped her on the shoulder. "Hey."   
  
"What?" She reluctantly raised her head and gazed at him expectantly, an eyebrow raised.  
  
"Just so you know," he began, "you're going to the prom."  
  
Her eyes lit up. "Really? Who am I going with?"  
  
"Me."  
  
"..._YOU_?" She stared at him with disbelief. "I don't believe this..."  
  
He chuckled with amusement. "Believe it."  
  
"But I don't wanna go with you!"  
  
"Well, it doesn't seem like you have any choice now, do you?" He said with a self-satisfied smirk.  
  
She glared at him for several minutes, still overcome with disbelief.   
  
He just shrugged his shoulders and kept on walking. He was beginning to feel quite comfortable having her in his arms.  
  
Sometime later, she slumped her shoulders and sighed, obviously resigning herself to the inevitable. "...I guess you're better than nothing." She said gloomily. "Ooh, why can't Oniichan ever allow me to go out with any of my older friends?"  
  
"Because they're all airheads."  
  
"They are NOT!"  
  
"Are TOO. Take a look at those six losers," he said, referring to the six boys he beat up, "...I'll bet they can't even hold a candle against me in a simple spelling bee."  
  
"Smarts aren't everything, you know. They have good HEARTS!"  
  
He laughed dryly. "...Yeah, I'll bet. And a good stock of hormones, I'm sure."  
  
"You're MEAN!"  
  
"...Besides, they're not even good-looking. None of them are. You'd think that because you're beautiful, you'd make friends with at least the decent-looking guys, but _noo_...you purposely get ALL the ugly ones."  
  
"Ren-niichan, just because you're handsome doesn't mean that you're a better person than they ARE. You're just a big meanie like ONIICHAN! I mean, you beat up those poor, innocent BOYS! You should be ashamed of YOURSELF! You should think about locking yourself up in a room and staying there until you're all nice and kind and NOT mean! Just because you're strong doesn't mean you can keep beating up everyone who stands in your WAY! I mean, that's just cruel and--mmph!" She gave him a murderous glare, struggling against his hand that was clamped over her mouth.  
  
"You talk too much," he told her with a meaningful look. "...My head already hurts like _hell_, and you're making it _worse_."   
  
She continued to glare at him, but he wouldn't remove his hand from her mouth. She gave him another punch on the stomach.  
  
"Ouch! Alright, alright," he reluctantly took his hand off of her mouth. "You know, you really should think about the people you socialize with. Not everyone is as nice as they seem to be, believe me. Why don't you sign up for the Aikido club? You could use a little training in self-defense. And I'll be teaching you, so you'll only be getting the best." He said proudly.  
  
"No thanks. I'd rather stay home and mope in bed all day than be with YOU. Just who do you think you ARE, anyway?"  
  
"Tao Ren," he answered airily, as if that explained everything.  
  
She snorted. "Yeah, like THAT'S reassuring," she said sarcastically.  
  
"Hey, my name's got charm, and so do I," he said defensively. Then, he grinned. "Besides, didn't you just say that you THINK I'm HANDSOME?"  
  
Her face turned an interesting shade of red. "Y...yes, I did," she admitted. "But I forgot to say that you're also an arrogant and mean bastard!" She added quickly. "And besides...you did say I'm BEAUTIFUL, didn't you?" She poked triumphantly at his chest.  
  
"I did," he admitted, grateful that he wasn't suffering from any sort of blush reflex as of the moment. "But I was going to add that you're also an _ annoying_ pain in the neck."  
  
"Oh." She frowned at the obvious insult. "I should have known."  
  
"And another thing..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You gave me one hell of a terrible headache today."  
  
"...Serves you right. Meanie."  
  
  
  
TSUZUKU.  
  
  
  
_A/N_: For the record, Ren used a different type of martial arts in beating up Pilica's...uhm...suitors. Aikido is _only_ mainly used for self-defense.  
  
  
_Review Replies_: **keiko**, thank you, thank you again. And I love Hao, too...very much.XD Of course this isn't over yet...I'm just getting started.=) **GoddessLD**, yeah, the Asakura twins *are* in fact pretty famous around the school, and you can probably guess why.=) **cherri-chan**, ** Saikoro**, and **chibi**, glad you liked it.^^ **gatita**, first act's got a total of 6 scenes, so there's one more after this. I'm still mulling over the rest, though. Sap-filled? This early on...well, it depends on the pairings, but later in the story...most likely yes.^^ Serious? Not too much, just little bits and pieces here and there. Comical? I hope so.^^ **Sheo Darren**, yep, Hao is definitely evil...but in a very very _cute_ way.XD As for Anna...all I can say is, I wish Yoh lots of luck.=) **Itako No Anna Asakura**, glad you liked this chapter--it's one of my favorites (mainly because of Hao...hehehe). Thanks! ** KristiexxNguyen**, yeah, me too.^^ **Iudex Acerbus**, I'd say he's semi-scared and semi-enjoying the way Anna tortures and orders him around...but that's just me.=) **~Hotaru~**, don't worry, I love Hao too.^^ Thanks for reading! **Hinote Kitsune Nikore**, lots of fluff? I'll work on it.=) ** Nezumi-chan**!!!*hugshugs* Anna's kinda used to having Hao call her that, since they live in the same house. I think she just gave up on trying to keep him from doing it. Anyway, more daddy Hao coming right up! And I love you too, dear Nezumi.*hugs*=)


	6. Act I, Scene 6: Bossanova, Casanova

**Promenade  
by Apple-chan  
**  
Disclaimer: Will never be mine.  
  
Summary: Four couples, one perfect night...or is it? A 5-act tale on how four young men and four young women fall in love at the night of their Junior-Senior Prom. YXA, RXP, LXJ, and HXT.  
  
Warnings: None, except that it's AU. Also, PG-13 to be safe...and Hao.^^  
  
**Happy Easter**, everyone!^_^  
  
  
  
**ACT I: On Your Mark.  
**  
  
_SCENE 6: Bossanova, Casanova_.  
  
  
On top of the clock tower at school, a long-haired brunette, known to his friends, admirers and groupies as Asakura Hao, and known to his enemies and the high school faculty as the "walking menace," examined a very long list of names in his hand at the same time that he surveyed the school grounds for his final victim for the day.  
  
"Let's see...Kaname-san: long royal blue hair, beautiful blue eyes, junior, cheerleader. Ruka-san: long black hair, lovely hazel eyes, senior, cheerleader. Mika-san: light brown hair, pretty green eyes, senior, athlete. Mathilda: sophomore, groupie. Marion: junior, groupie. Kanna: senior, and yet another groupie. Ah," he shook his head and sighed dramatically. "Being handsome sure is a curse, yes? Now..." he continued checking off the list with every intention of narrowing it down from one hundred girls to fifty, but he just couldn't make up his mind.   
  
Yes, being handsome is _definitely_ a curse...one that he will have to carry for the rest of his life.  
  
"But who's complaining?" He grinned slightly to himself. "...Not me, that's for sure."  
  
He continued checking off the list, his smile growing wider and wider as he approached the very bottom. Sophomores, juniors, seniors...even college girls would do everything just to get his attention. Beautiful, smart, rich, and sophisticated college girls. He would have received a lot more offers had he accepted those of politicians, senior executives in successful companies, and--horrors of all horrors--housewives, and also ladies in the nursing homes. But of course, he just had to draw the line at college girls. He knew he was good, but, MAN, he wasn't _that_ good.  
  
Well, actually, he _was_, but...there's only so much a handsome senior high school student could have. He wasn't about to take in any more than he could handle._ Too much of a good thing is bad. Too much of a good thing is _always_ bad.  
_  
He gave another dramatic sigh.  
  
_So many women, so little time._  
  
Hao folded up the list, placed it goodness knows where inside his long white cape, and tapped his chin thoughtfully. _One month. Still early, but for my own good, I'm gonna have to think up a way to divide my very precious time and attention among all of them during prom night. I have to make sure everyone gets their fair share of me. I wouldn't want anyone to go home dissatisfied now, would I? I have to keep everyone happy.  
_  
He chuckled. _Not a problem. There's gonna be plenty of me to go around._ He briefly envisioned the scene in his head. Him, in between the ladies. The ladies, falling in a long line, swooning and tearing each other's hairs out just to get to him.   
  
And then, he would hold up his hands, smile his most winning smile, and say: _ladies, ladies...no need to fuss, there's plenty for everybody...  
_  
The ladies would sigh, and then...they would continue to flutter all over him like bees over honey.  
  
And he would enjoy it. Oh yes, he would. Tremendously.  
  
_What is monogamy, anyway? Is it a word? _  
  
_...Well, it doesn't exist in my dictionary, that's for sure.  
_  
His head snapped up as one of his favorite victims came out of the school building and traversed the grounds. From the direction the bespectacled young boy was going, it was obvious that he was on his way home.  
  
Hao gave a wicked grin. _Really, who says that being a normal, well-behaved student is the best thing to be? So boring. So ordinary. So...routine. Definitely takes all the fun out of life. I'd rather be bad.   
  
No, wait...I _am_ bad. Hm. Excellent.  
_  
With the swiftness and agility that only the captain of the Kendo club could have, he jumped down from the clock tower and landed gracefully on the cemented pavement with his feet first, without any sign at all of broken bones and bruises. Few people would ever manage this, so it is strongly suggested that the readers not try this at home. Only Asakura Hao would be able to manage it, simply because _he's_ Asakura Hao.  
  
Quietly, he walked several steps towards his victim, with the clear intention of scaring the young boy _before_ he resumes with his evil deed. He crept up softly, and then...jumped in front of the boy.  
  
Said boy stumbled backwards with a shriek, dropping his books to the ground in the process. He glanced with trepidation at Hao.  
  
The long-haired brunette smiled sweetly at him.  
  
Obviously, the smile meant doom for the young boy. With another terrified shriek, he ran away as fast as his legs could carry him, never mind his books, leaving Hao staring after him in disappointment.  
  
_Oh, well. Tomorrow is another day._ He grinned again. _  
  
Another day, another opportunity to work my magical chaos around this oh-so-beautiful place.  
_  
He sighed with contentment as he turned around and walked back inside the school.  
  
_It's good to be me.  
_  
  
  
TSUZUKU.  
  
  
  
**Notes:**  
  
Well, that's it for Act I.^_^  
  
Lay's, Sprite, Funk and Wagnall's, Lord of The Rings: The Return of the King, and Bazooka Bubblegum belong to their respective owners, and not me, unfortunately. The same goes for George and Caesar Silverberg, who belong to Konami and its constituents.  
  
_Bossanova, Casanova_ is the title of one of the songs from the Weiβ Kreuz Glűhen Album (a duet by Seki Tomokazu and Koyasu Takehito), so it belongs to them and not me.  
  
_Promenade_ is the British term for what is commonly known as _prom_, or so my dictionary says. The latter term is actually just an abbreviation of the former, at least as far as I know._  
  
  
Review Replies: _**Saikoro**, I'm glad.^^ Thanks! **Saffron**, me too. Love all the pairings. **GoddessLD**, you and me both. Horo gets his smarts from his dad, though. **AnG3L1c*diVa-chan** and **chibi**, thank you, and glad you liked it. **keiko**, I totally agree. Hao rocks, yes he does! **gatita**, I'm still thinking about that...but you'll find out. Hao's gonna have a big role here, definitely.=) **Itako No Anna Asakura**, thanks. They _do _yell a lot, don't they? I think it's sweet.=) **Kira**, welcome back!^_^ Thanks for the reviews (all five of 'em) I'm glad you're liking this, I really am. Hope you'll get to update your latest work very _very _soon...like in a week or so, maybe?^^ **~Hotaru~**, that will all depend on how this story will go...but I do think he'll be somehow responsible, as always. I'm still mulling over it, though. What do you think?^^ **Iudex Acerbus**, I totally agree...but the thing is, Ren doesn't like being mocked, either. He's got an ego as high as the heavens. And it_ was_ a favor for Horo-horo, besides. **Anonymousse**, thanks! I like him here, too.^^ **Takari-san**, yep, Ren _is _quite dangerous, isn't he? Only if you're bad and perverted, though.=) **TN4**, of course I remember you! How could I forget? I actually wondered where you disappeared to these past couple of months...been too busy, I'm guessing.^^ Thanks, and more of dominating Anna coming right up! And yep, they're all humans, non-shaman. As for the normal part...that's debatable.*grin* **Sheo Darren**, she's actually only _that _noisy around Ren and Horo-horo.=) **Reen**, as usual, mahaba na naman ito, yup.*sigh* Another long project for me. Partner for Hao? Ikaw? Bakit hindi?=) I-add kita to Hao's plethora of women, a.k.a. his Harem with a capital H.*wink*  
  
  
_UP NEXT:_ **ACT II: Ready.** Preparing for the prom isn't all it's cracked up to be. There's rehearsals, decorations, and most of all...the _dresses_ to think about. Of course, it would help if you talked about it with your friends, your classmates, your siblings, your family...and your prom _dates_.*meaningful grin* 


	7. Act II, Scene 1: The Odd Couple, the Law...

**Promenade  
by Apple-chan  
**  
Disclaimer: I'm sure you all know what this means.  
  
Summary: Four couples, one perfect night...or is it? A 5-act tale on how four young men and four young women fall in love at the night of their Junior-Senior Prom. YXA, RXP, LXJ, and HXT.  
  
Warnings: AU, PG-13, and the appearance of Hao.^_^  
  
For the record, Act II begins two weeks after Act I.  
  
  
  
**ACT II: Ready.  
**  
  
_SCENE 1: The Odd Couple, the Lawyer's Son, and the Amazing Twins_.  
  
  
"Now," Tao Jun told the two boys as the three of them stepped inside the expansive grounds of the high school, "I'll be heading to the faculty center, okay? I hope you two will behave yourselves," she added sternly.  
  
Ren rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "You don't need to tell us that each and every time, Neesan. We're SIXTEEN, for god's sake."  
  
"Exactly. And you're still as rude as ever," Jun threw back triumphantly. She glanced at the other boy. "Lyserg-kun, can I trust you again to make sure he--" she cocked her head towards her brother, "--doesn't get into any sort of senseless pointless brawl?"  
  
"I'll try my best," Lyserg said, smiling with amusement at his best friend and next-door neighbor, who looked deeply insulted. "As long as I'm around, I'll try to keep the peace, don't worry."  
  
"That's good." Jun sighed with relief. "I'll see you this afternoon, Ren. Lyserg-kun, I'm counting on you." With a final smile, the beautiful jade-haired English teacher-in-training walked off and headed towards the main school building.  
  
Ren watched his sister's retreating form with a contemplating frown on his face. "She always treats me like a little kid," he muttered as he stomped off, backpack slung carelessly over one shoulder.  
  
"That's because you _are_ her kid brother," Lyserg reasoned, catching up with the other boy as he examined the topmost paper from the folder he was holding. "I think it's some sort of rule, isn't it? Just take a look at Horo-horo-kun and _Pilica-chan_," he emphasized the latter name pointedly.  
  
Ren snorted. "PLEASE. That girl and I are nothing alike," he said dryly.  
  
"On the contrary. If you think about it, you're more alike than you realize," Lyserg concluded, producing a pen from his backpack and checking off the topmost paper, which was actually a list.  
  
Ren glared at him from the corner of his eye. "Whose side are you on, anyway?"  
  
"No one's." Lyserg looked up and smiled innocently.  
  
"I figured as much," Ren threw back dryly.  
  
"I try to be as objective as possible...especially when it comes to _you_, Ren-kun."  
  
"Then what's the point of having _you_ as my best friend if I can never get you on _ my_ side?" Ren wondered aloud. "Never mind. Don't answer that." He shook his head wearily and adjusted the backpack over his shoulder.  
  
Lyserg chuckled, shaking his head as they headed towards the school entrance leading to the shoe lockers. "Just be grateful you have a sister. I wouldn't mind having one, to be honest."  
  
"Hn." Ren grunted. "Trust me, you don't want her around; it's annoying." He sighed. "Ever since she found out that I'm taking Pilica to the prom, it's been a non-stop 'Pilica-chan this, Pilica-chan that' at home." His frown deepened. "The way she talks, you'd think Pilica was her one and only student."  
  
"Maybe not, but she's probably the smartest."  
  
"I wouldn't count on it. She may be smart, but cheerleaders are _never_ the smartest."  
  
"Well...at least Jun-san likes her," Lyserg commented thoughtfully. "That means there's less trouble for you and Pilica-chan...you know, just in case you see her as a possible bridal--"  
  
"DON'T start with me, Lyserg." Ren interrupted pointedly. "The only reason I'm even taking her to the prom is because Horo-horo _blackmailed_ me to do it."  
  
"If you say so."  
  
"...If I weren't so kind, she'd have ended up with one of those airhead perverted friends of hers."  
  
"And you don't want that."  
  
"Of course I DON'T!" Ren stated impatiently. "Even if she's annoying, noisy, and--"  
  
"--cute," Lyserg supplied.  
  
Ren gave him a look. "...She deserves to be treated with utmost decency and respect. Who else can give her that but--"  
  
"--you?"  
  
"Exactly. I can give her the kind of protection she needs. The kind that her brother's given her--"  
  
"--except with you, it's a little bit different because you're _not_ her brother." Lyserg grinned. "You're her prom date...and potential hus--"  
  
"Lyserg, could you STOP putting words into my mouth? I'm doing this because I feel _responsible_ for her. That's it."  
  
"...And because you _like_ her." Lyserg added knowingly. "Come on, Ren-kun. I've known you for far too long...and honestly, the only time I've ever seen you bothered _this_ much about a girl is when it's _Pilica-chan_." He paused. "And it's not just because of Horo-horo-kun, is it?"  
  
"Lyserg?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Shut UP."  
  
The green-haired boy sighed with defeat. "Fine. I won't say anything more."  
  
"Good."  
  
"...One little piece of advice, though."  
  
Ren rolled his eyes and sighed with irritation. _Here he goes again._ Lyserg and his lectures. It never gets old. "What?"  
  
"Whatever you do," Lyserg told him seriously, "don't fall in love with her."  
  
The navy-haired boy gazed at him as if he'd just grown two heads. "You've got to be kidding."  
  
"I _mean_ it," his friend stated firmly. "If that happens, you'll be dead before you can blink, for sure."  
  
Ren rolled his eyes again. Horo-horo, of course. He'd kill anyone who'd even so much as get a measly crush on his sister. "_Never_ gonna happen, believe me," he muttered. "And speaking of love...I suggest you take your own advice."  
  
"Huh?" Lyserg looked at him blankly.  
  
"I meant _Jeanne_," Ren said with pointed emphasis. "So...how are those rehearsals of yours coming along? Any..._developments_?" This statement held a whole world of meaning.  
  
"Do you know how much like Professor Silverberg you sound? It's terrifying."  
  
"...And you're evading the question." This time, it was Ren's turn to grin triumphantly as he eyed the thick folder in his friend's hands. "Are those music sheets?"  
  
"Yeah," Lyserg sighed with resignation. "As for the question...it's been good. I think I'll be ready by prom night. I've mastered almost all the pieces we'll need."  
  
"And what about Jeanne?" Ren prodded.  
  
Lyserg rolled his eyes. "She sings very well. Like an--"  
  
"--angel?" Ren supplied teasingly.  
  
"An _experienced singer_," Lyserg corrected hastily, but there was a slight blush staining his cheeks. _Yep, like an angel. A beautiful angel that you can look at, but never touch_...he mentally kicked himself. "She learns fast, but I guess I should have expected it from someone of her line--" he stopped abruptly as he spotted a familiar car pulling over at the school's driveway, not very far from where they were. An old vintage Ferrari. "Oh, _NO_." He groaned. "Ren-kun, hide me." He snuck up behind the other boy and attempted to conceal himself--a futile effort, since he was around three inches taller than his friend, and his spiky green hair was far too conspicuous.  
  
"Lyserg, what the HELL...? Oh. _OH_," Ren's surprise soon turned into a wide grin of amusement as from the car stepped out a beautiful silvery-blue haired girl with captivating ruby eyes...a young freshman girl who could only be... "It's Jeanne, and...that chauffeur...Marco, right?" He squinted, trying to pinpoint if the familiar tall, blonde bespectacled man with the foreboding eyes was the very same one he and Lyserg have known as the driver and butler of the Iron family, and Jeanne's official guardian and bodyguard for the last nine years.  
  
"Did he see me?" Came Lyserg's quiet inquiry.  
  
"Nope. STOP holding on to my back, for god's sake!"  
  
Lyserg sighed with relief. "Good."  
  
"Don't tell me he hates you as much as Jeanne's father does. STOP holding on to me, dammit!"  
  
"I'm not sure..._ouch_! Ren-kun, that hurt!" Lyserg rubbed his forehead, which had managed to connect with Ren's forceful elbow. "But every time he even so much as catches me peeking at the Iron Estate even from across the street, he _growls_." A shudder. "He's scarier than Sir Iron, I swear."  
  
"Well, maybe he didn't see you...but Jeanne has." There was a knowing hint in Ren's voice. "Better get out of hiding, Lyserg. You wouldn't want to offend her now, would you?" And with that, he raised his hand to give Jeanne a small wave.  
  
Lyserg peeked over his best friend's shoulder hesitantly...and saw Jeanne smiling and waving. As soon as her eyes went to him, though, her face reddened quite considerably--perfectly visible even through their distance.   
  
Before he even got a chance to react (wave at her, for instance) though, she grabbed her things and rushed inside the school building, her long hair flying behind her.  
  
He heard Ren laughing in front of him. "That's the worst case of puppy love I've ever seen."  
  
Lyserg could feel the blush creeping up to his cheeks. "Shut UP."  
  
  
***  
  
  
"Alright, alright, _that's_ it..." Horo-horo kept his eyes glued to his binoculars as one of his hands dug into a large bag of Nacho Cheesier Doritos. "Exhibit A at twelve o'clock is holding up a mirror, and it appears he's heading towards Exhibit B's position," he muttered to his recorder. "Just as I thought. Come on, move..."  
  
"Ren-kun, how many times do I have to say it? She is _not_ in love me. She calls me _Lyserg-niichan_, for crying out loud!" Lyserg was arguing with Ren as the two of them entered the lockers. As soon as he spotted Horo-horo by the windows, he gave Ren a questioning look.  
  
"...Just because a girl addresses you respectfully doesn't mean that she can't have feelings for you, you know. I mean, come on! She's _adored_ you for far too long...she's bound to fall in love with you somewhere along the way..." Ren glanced at Horo-horo, then gave the green-haired junior a shrug of indifference as he headed off to change his shoes. "And the 'niichan' thing...girls do that all the time! Take for example--"  
  
"Pilica-chan, you mean?" Lyserg raised an eyebrow as he changed his shoes.  
  
Ren fought off the blush that threatened to stain his cheeks. "That's different." _No it's not, _his conscience said._ It's quite the same and you know it._ He resisted the urge to rap his head against the nearby wall.  
  
Lyserg gave him a meaningful look. "No, it's not."  
  
"Yes it is," Horo-horo spoke up suddenly. "Ren treats my sister as a little sister and _that's_ it. End of story." He added without taking a glance at them. "Isn't that right, Ren?"  
  
"Yeah," Ren gave Lyserg a triumphant look. _Liar_, his conscience told him.   
  
Lyserg sighed, but he didn't seem convinced. He knew Ren far too much. Blame it on the ten years of friendship he's had with the Chinese boy. Quite a weird case of opposites attracting is what you can call the two of them: Lyserg was the well-mannered, sweet-tempered, polite, soft-spoken and refined one; Ren was the rude, brash, loud, violent, and uncivilized one. "Horo-horo-kun, you knew we were here?"  
  
"Yep. You were talking loudly enough," Horo-horo answered dryly. "...And I saw you enter the school grounds. And _Jeanne_, as well." His voice held a teasing note as he tossed the bag of chips to them. "Doritos."  
  
Ren caught the bag deftly, sniffed it, and then held it out to Lyserg. "What're you doing?"  
  
"Story for _The Quill_," Horo said without turning around. "I need it for the next issue. Donut?" He dug inside his backpack and offered a half-empty box of Dunkin Donuts to the two.  
  
Ren eyed the box suspiciously, then shook his head and pushed it back towards the senior. "Next issue? Out the window?" He turned to Lyserg blankly.  
  
The latter shrugged, taking a couple of chips and tossing it into his mouth. "It's probably gossip. He writes those." Opening his folder, he began to peruse the music sheets, frowning as he contemplated on each one.  
  
"You're kidding." Pure disbelief was written on the Chinese junior's face.   
  
"I'm not."  
  
"Seriously?"  
  
"Uh-huh. Blind items and all that."  
  
Ren stared at Horo-horo as if he didn't know him. "You WRITE gossip?"  
  
"It's for a good cause!" Horo-horo said defensively, turning around long enough to flash Lyserg a dark look, which the latter chose to ignore.  
  
"How can writing GOSSIP be for a GOOD CAUSE?"  
  
"It's service." Lyserg spoke up. "For the students, you know. The 'right to be informed' and all that."   
  
"_Service_? Horo-horo, you can get sued for this."  
  
A careless shrug. "If that ever happens, I can always turn to Otousan for help," the senior stated matter-of-factly.  
  
"Your father's a business lawyer, Horo-horo. You can't hire him to defend you for libel. And besides, he's busy enough as it is." Ren reminded him. "He practically lives at the estate."  
  
"That's because your dear _father_ works him to death," Horo-horo threw back. It was always a sullen and sore subject between him and Ren, the fact that his father worked for Tao En. It was one of the main reasons why the two of them--Horo-horo and Ren--started out not as friends, but bitter enemies. Prior to being friends with Lyserg, Ren used to be quite a spoiled mean brat; when he was new to the neighborhood, he often got involved into a lot of fights with the local children--and Horo-horo was one of his biggest and most bitter rivals. Over time, though (and because Lyserg had somehow...influenced Ren and mellowed him out a bit), the two had agreed on a truce and declared themselves friends, for the sake of their families, and later on--because they discovered how much they had in common.   
  
Ren shrugged arrogantly. "It's not our fault we're popular."  
  
"Hn." Horo-horo grunted, finally turning around and digging into his backpack again. "Dew?" He held out a half-empty carrying case of Mountain Dew to his two friends.  
  
Lyserg stared at all the food. It seemed like Horo-horo had brought an entire junk food picnic to school. "What's all this for?"  
  
"Me," the azure-haired boy answered matter-of-factly. "Actually, half of it's for later; I'm saving some for Tamao during our stake-out, but I don't think my stash is gonna last..."  
  
"Tamao?" Ren frowned.  
  
"Yep. We're working on the special prom issue, and during lunch, she and I are..." He paused, then grinned. "It's a secret. I'll let you know once it's done. Lyserg, it'd be nice if you'd help us out," he added, raising a stern eyebrow at one of his staff.  
  
Lyserg smiled apologetically. "I wish I could...but I've got rehearsals," he tapped the folder meaningfully. "Sorry."  
  
Horo-horo frowned with disappointment. "Just for that, I'm gonna write up a small piece on you and Jeanne somewhere in the special issue."  
  
"Horo-horo-kun, if you do that, I'll be dedicating the next empty space in the literary section for that secret love poem you wrote for Tamao."  
  
"LOVE POEM?!?" Ren fell on the floor; he was laughing so hard. "You...write...LOVE POEMS?!?"  
  
"...Alright, I won't do it," Horo said grudgingly, glaring darkly at Ren as a deep blush crept up to his cheeks. "Once you take some time off, just help us out, will you?"  
  
Lyserg smiled beatifically. "Of course I will."  
  
  
***  
  
  
"Oniichan, hurry it up! We're gonna be LATE!" Yoh urged his twin brother past the gates of the school towards the shoe lockers. "I'm supposed to meet with Principal Goldbar ten minutes before class..." He shook off his still-drenched head of hair hastily as he ran.  
  
"Aw come on, Otouto, what's the rush?" Hao called out as he walked calmly after his brother. For once, he was donned in his school uniform, with the buttons halfway undone. He tossed his hair gracefully and increased his pace.  
  
"Well, I'm TWO MINUTES late!" Yoh called back frantically, puffing. "She'll kill me."  
  
"...I don't think she could do much worse than _Ice Queen_, though, could she?" He eyed his brother's tousled and very wet form with amusement.  
  
"Very funny. Come on," Yoh urged. "...Ohayo," he greeted Horo-horo, Ren and Lyserg as he entered the lockers. "Oniichan! Get in here and change your shoes!" He called out as after taking a couple of steps, he lost his balance and fell directly in front of his locker. "...Ow..."  
  
A good-natured laugh sounded behind him. "Otouto, you are such a klutz." Two seconds later, a brief rush of air passed by as Hao entered, his long hair fluttering behind him. "Ohayo gozaimasu!" He greeted cheerfully.  
  
Ren and Horo-horo glanced at Yoh, and pointedly ignored Hao. Lyserg, meanwhile, smiled at Yoh, and sighed with obvious irritation at Hao's presence. "Yoh-kun, what happened to you?"  
  
"Nothing much," Yoh said quickly, sitting on the bench and exchanging his shoes. He tossed the other pair to Hao, who caught it deftly.  
  
"...Except the Ice Queen," Hao barged in cheerfully, examining the shoes with distaste and tossing it back to his brother. "She got annoyed with him earlier this morning and threw a bucket of toilet water over his head."  
  
Yoh stared at the shoes his brother threw back, sighed with resignation and promptly returned it to its case. "I didn't think she was gonna get angry just because of...of _soap_," he explained sheepishly. "She doesn't usually get that angry at me."  
  
"Yeah, she tends to get _that_ angry at ME," Hao admitted. "But this time, you went overboard, Otouto." He shook his head. "SPYING on Ice Queen while she's taking a bath...I mean, even _I_ can't manage that." Then, he grinned. "Although I have to admit, it _was_ quite the perfect plan...didn't know you had it in you, Yoh."  
  
"I WASN'T spying!" Yoh protested, his face quickly turning a deep shade of red. _Legs._ He had only managed to catch a glimpse of Anna's beautiful shapely long and white and smooth legs and he practically died of nosebleed. "I thought she was dressed. I thought she was finished. I NEEDED soap!"  
  
"You SPIED on Anna in the BATH?!?" Horo-horo stared at his friend and classmate with amazement. "WOW, Yoh..."  
  
Yoh sighed and shook his head in defeat. "I didn't mean it," he mumbled. "I just hope this wouldn't cause her to suddenly break me off as her date for the prom, I mean..." his voice trailed off.  
  
"Don't worry about it, Otouto," Hao told him cheerfully as he sat down beside the green-haired junior, purposely annoying him with his presence. "She loves you too much to reject you."  
  
"Huh?" Yoh gazed at him blankly.  
  
Hao rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "Nothing. You'll figure it out soon. Anyway," he clasped his hands together and gazed at the other three. "You guys ready?"  
  
"For what?" The three asked in unison.  
  
Hao rolled his eyes again. "For the PROM, dimwits." He sighed with exasperation. "Honestly, am I the only guy out here who does any preparation? I mean, this is a _rather_ important event in our lives. Don't you guys care about it just a little?"  
  
"Of course we do!" Horo-horo snapped. "...We're just not as vain as you are, that's all."  
  
Hao smiled sweetly. "So what have _you_ done to prepare, Horo-horo-kun?" He asked knowingly. "I hear dear little Tamao-imouto is your date."  
  
"How did you know?" Horo-horo wondered incredulously. "I've never told anyone except..." He glanced at Ren and Lyserg, who both shrugged.  
  
The long-haired senior shrugged. "I'm her Hao-_niisan_. She tells me everything, including..." he gave Yoh a sidelong glance, "...the things she likes, _and_ loves. I do believe _you're_ included in the things she loves," he added meaningfully.  
  
Horo-horo blushed again in spite of himself. "Hn." He grunted, glaring at Hao. _Why, of all people, did Tamao's confidante have to be Hao? That's the fifty-million dollar question._  
  
"And Ren-kun, what about YOU?" Hao turned to the Chinese junior. "What have you done to prepare yourself?"  
  
"I don't need to prepare," Ren told him airily. "I'm perfect the way I am, so butt out of my business."  
  
"Hm," Hao was mildly insulted, but he ignored it; instead, he turned to one of his most favorite people in the whole school. "...And you, Lyserg-kun? What have you been DOING to prepare for this momentous occasion?"  
  
Lyserg, who had just about had enough with the long-haired brunette's efforts to squeeze himself beside him, finally stood up. "It's none of your damn business." Every single time he looks at this guy, he gets the strong urge to punch him out for all the times he has messed up everything in the music room. Said room happens to be one of Lyserg's most favorite and prized places in the whole school.  
  
His--and Jeanne's. Extremely prized to a point of being sacred, and darn it if a troublemaker like Hao was going to be the one..._violating_ such a precious haven.  
  
"On the contrary," Hao spoke up cheerfully. "I think it _might_ be my business...after all, I've seen you and that _beautiful_ freshman girl rehearsing those LOVE songs for the past two weeks, and you two seemed PRET~TY cozy."  
  
Lyserg turned a shocking state of red at this--from embarrassment, or fury, or both--we'll never know. "You know what? Just...stay OUT of the music room, _please_? I'm asking you this, man to man. Alright?" He gave the long-haired senior a pleading look.  
  
"What if I say no?" Came Hao's annoyingly sweet reply.  
  
"Argh...!" Lyserg growled under his breath, fighting back the urge to grab Hao by the ankles, hang him upside down and strangle him. "I've had enough of this. Ren-kun, let's go. I need to see Professor Silverberg and show him these sheets; we need them at rehearsals later."  
  
"Yeah, okay," Ren agreed, standing up and walking beside his best friend. "I need to see my sister before class, anyway. There's something I forgot to ask her..." He nodded at Horo-horo and Yoh, and raised an eyebrow at Hao. "We'll see you."  
  
"I'll see you before lunch time at the prom committee meeting, Yoh-kun!" Lyserg called as he and and Ren walked out.  
  
"Yeah, see you!' Yoh told him, his eyes brightening as he suddenly remembered the meeting, thanks to Lyserg. It was a good thing, too. Otherwise, Anna was going to kill him for not attending...again.  
  
"You know what," Horo-horo said, picking up his spying materials and junk food picnic hastily and placing them into his pack, "...I have to run off, too. I need to drop off my materials at the staff office. I'll see you in class, Yoh!" Ignoring Hao pointedly, he rushed out of the locker room.  
  
"Hmm, they left so suddenly," Hao sighed with disappointment. "It's a shame. They didn't even give me a chance to tell them what I'm doing to prepare for the prom." He then glanced at his brother, who now had a blank look on his face. "What's wrong, Yoh?"  
  
Yoh glanced at his twin and grinned sheepishly. "What was I supposed to do again?"  
  
Hao had to smile at his brother's forgetfulness. Even after all these years, Yoh never ceased to amuse him. "You had a meeting with the Principal, remember?"  
  
"Oh. Oh YEAH!" Yoh's eyes brightened, and he quickly stood up. He glanced at his watch. "Damn, I'm now EIGHT MINUTES late!" He shook his head and frantically picked up the rest of his things (his shoes, mainly) and rushed out of the room. "Oniichan, I'll see you later!"  
  
"Ja!" Hao continued to sit calmly inside the locker room as he waved cheerfully at his brother.  
  
Yoh popped his head in again. "For GOD'S sake..._attend_ class, will you?"  
  
"No prob," Hao answered gaily. "I'll be sure to wake you up before it ends, don't worry." He called out teasingly.  
  
"Very funny! Ja!"  
  
  
  
TSUZUKU.  
  
  
  
_Review Replies_: **AnG3L1c*diVa-chan**, thanks. YohXAnna coming up next! **Itako No Anna Asakura**, yep, he _is_ evil...just the way I like him.=) **Kira**, love your update! Yep, I totally agree.=)** ~Hotaru~**, well, watch out for the next scenes, then. **KristiexxNguyen**, yeah, I recently found out that Zeke thing, too..._ how...repulsive. Hao is such a cute name! **GoddessLD**, I couldn't agree more.=) **SkyDancerHawk**, I'll try to put him in as much as I can...I love him, after all.^^ ** bOw-doWn-tO-KeiKO**, update wish granted.^^ **cherri-chan**, which girl? _ All_ the girls.*grin* **Lafine**, more Hao...soon. Everyone loves Hao, ne? **yuri maxwell**, hehehe...you remember our favorite (or actually, mine) yaoi song, ne? Ken and Aya's theme song, lol. Rainbow hair? Maybe...but he likes dark brown better.^^ Hehehe. **Takari-san**, yep, he is _that_ good. **keiko**, uhm...nope, can't, sorry. Thanks for the support, though. Glad you're liking this. **Eikou**, here's the update.^^ **Trinity**, I've had that tall and handsome picture of Ren in my mind for a long time, so...hehe. Glad you like this. **TN4**, here's another long (yet incredibly pointless) chapter. Yes, Hao is total coolness. That huge ego and self-esteem only adds to his charms, I think. **Anonymousse**, I think Hao enjoys it all, so don't feel sorry for him!^^ **Fluff Inc** or the writer formerly known as Fluffychans, wonder why you changed your name? Just asking. Anyhow, thanks, and here's the update. Hope it's not too weird.^_^ **Nezumi-chan**, glad I cheered you up.^^ Me and daddy Hao, at least. Hope you're feeling loads better. Talk to you again soon.^^ ** Kyasha Ishtar**, me too. Glad you like him here...I like him here, as well.^^ Thanks for reading! **Reen**, you and me both.^^ Tawag ka sa kin, pag-usapan natin. Let's talk it over...^^ **bOw-doWn-tO-KeiKO**, uh...last time I checked, it was still there.^^;;; **Kiwifroot**, here's the update!^^ 


	8. Act II, Scene 2: On Physics, Prom Dress,...

**Promenade  
by Apple-chan  
**   
Disclaimer: I'm sure you all know what this means.  
  
Summary: Four couples, one perfect night...or is it? A 5-act tale on how four young men and four young women fall in love at the night of their Junior-Senior Prom. YXA, RXP, LXJ, and HXT.  
  
Warnings: AU, PG-13, and the appearance of Hao.^_^  
  
  
  
**ACT II: Ready.  
**   
  
_SCENE 2: On Physics, Prom Dress, and Narcolepsy_.  
  
  
"So you see, " Silver-sensei's booming voice droned on, "dividing the amount of change in the magnetic flux by the time when the magnetic flux changed and multiplying the result to the opposing nature of the reduced electromagnetic force or _emf_, according to Faraday's law, the product will be..."  
  
With her chin on top of her hand, Kyouyama Anna absently took a couple of notes on her pad, even though her heart wasn't exactly into it. She gave a long, frustrated sigh.  
  
A quiet snore sounded from the desk beside her. She rolled her eyes to the ceiling in defeat. There he goes again--Asakura Yoh, award-winning sleeper, sleeping yet AGAIN in class. His head was resting sideways on top of the table, his eyes lazily closed. A small pool of drool was forming near his mouth.  
  
Anna shook her head in disgust. Digging into her purse, she produced a white pocket handkerchief, and subsequently slid it to his table, just underneath his mouth, to catch the pool of saliva. If any of their classmates even so much as catches a glimpse of his godforsaken body fluids on top of the desk, his reign as an honorable and respected student council president would no doubt go down the drain, and all _her_ hard work along with it.   
  
Good thing they were both sitting at the very back. At least she was the only one who was seeing this. She, and Yoh's dear darling older twin brother--supposedly. But as usual, Hao, who sits on the other side of Yoh, was nowhere to be found. She exhaled. _He's probably off bullying some kids again...or messing up the empty classrooms...those are the only things he's good for, anyway..._  
  
"Therefore, if you put sugar and cream on cappuccino, it would therefore create a cafe latté which when heated will turn into espresso cream and iced mocha..." That's what the day's lesson sounded to Anna. She badly needed coffee. Yoh's narcolepsy must be rubbing off on her.  
  
She cursed silently. Shaking her head vigorously, she raised her head up to the blackboard and forced herself to concentrate. _Concentrate. Yeah._ She glanced at her pad.  
  
_Step 1: Trace the pattern on the cloth. Step 2: Remember to provide seam allowance. Step 3: Cut the fabric evenly. Step 4: Sew the shoulders_...she frowned, then sighed again. _Forty minutes into class and you only realize now that you brought the wrong notebook. Smart, Anna. Very smart._ She flipped the pages, pausing on the design that she'd sketched before and had been working on for the past two weeks. Her gown for the prom. After all, the only way she was going to be able to get a good wardrobe for that godforsaken excuse for a social event was if she sewed it herself.   
  
It's not that she didn't have the money for it, just that...she wasn't about to go wasting her parents' hard-earned money just for a gown. That amount in the bank was for hers and Tamao's futures, since her cousin's parents had been long dead and her own parents didn't seem to show a sign that they would ever take her back after leaving her for a decade and a half in the care of Kino and Yohmei Asakura. However, even though her parents never came to see her, they did send a substantial amount of yen for her and her cousin every week.  
  
_Well, that's one thing they're good for,_ she thought bitterly. _Money._  
  
"Hnngh...Oniichan, stop pushing me..." Yoh murmured.  
  
Anna shook her head with irritation. _Now he's talking in his sleep. Great. _   
  
"Alright," the long-haired Physics professor clapped his hands together and turned to his students. "...I think it's time I give you some exercises. Turn your textbooks to page fifty and we'll read and answer the first problem together." He looked around expectantly.  
  
Anna's head snapped to attention. _Exercises. I don't even know what the lesson is all about. Wonderful._ Groaning inwardly, she flipped her Wonderful World of Physics book to the said page, gazed impassively at their teacher and pretended to listen.   
  
Underneath her desk, she slowly inched her foot towards Yoh's with every intention of waking him up. No doubt he would be in trouble again if Silver-sensei finds him asleep. Among all the teachers in the school, Silver was, by far, the strictest, and the only one who didn't let Yoh get away with sleeping, mostly because the said professor was immune to his charming grin.  
  
"Okay," Silver-sensei spoke again, and Anna realized, much to her chagrin, that they had just finished reading the first problem and their teacher was probably going to call on someone soon to answer his questions. "Can anyone tell me the right equation we can use to solve for the magnitude of the emf?"  
  
A hand shot up into the air, and Anna rolled her eyes to the ceiling with exasperation as she realized who it was. _Oh, NO. Don't tell me he's got something against today's lesson yet AGAIN. _She shook her had and sighed. She'd always wondered why Yoh was friends with this guy, but now that she thought about it...it really wasn't that hard to believe. Yoh managed to skip classes by sleeping, and the only way he ever caught up with the day's lessons was through _her_ notes.   
  
As for this guy...  
  
"Sensei, you know what I THINK?" Horo-horo's voice spoke up so loudly that the blonde was surprised it hadn't awaken Yoh. Then again, Yoh would _never _ wake up to anything...unless of course it came from _her_, or from his grandmother.  
  
Silver sighed, and she knew he was trying hard to keep from moaning out "God, why have you forsaken me?" to the heavens. "...Yes, Horo-horo-kun, what do YOU think?" The last thing the teacher wanted to do was to listen to another one of the azure-haired young man's over-extrapolated refutations on the day's lesson...but if he didn't listen to him now, he'll never hear the end of it.  
  
"I THINK," Horo-horo's voice was annoyingly loud once again, "...that instead of asking us to answer _this _problem," he pointed smugly to his textbook, "you should EXPLAIN to us INSTEAD how to ANSWER it. Because you know what? The truth is NONE of us know how to answer it, and you'll only be WASTING time." He grinned sweetly at the teacher. "And BESIDES--"  
  
The long-haired Physics teacher looked up to the ceiling and prayed for patience. _Lots and lots_ of patience. If he's going to deal with this...obnoxious kid the _right_ way, he'll need all the patience he can get. "Horo-horo-kun, who's the teacher here: YOU or ME?" He said twice as loudly, trying to match the non-stop reasoning that the boy was still doing as of now. Horo-horo had covered the advantages of his suggestion to the students; now he was talking about its advantages to the teacher.  
  
"--aside from the FACT that you'll be BENEFITING from it with less papers to check and--"  
  
"HORO-HORO-KUN!" Silver slapped his hands forcefully on top of the desk.  
  
Much to his relief, the azure-haired student stopped at this. "Hai, Sensei?"  
  
"Who's the teacher here: YOU--" he pointed to Horo-horo, "--or ME?" There was a hint of threat on the Physics teacher's voice.  
  
But Horo-horo seemed unperturbed. "_You_, of course," he answered matter-of-factly. "But that's not really the issue here, is it? The MAIN thing is--"  
  
"Sit DOWN, Horo-horo-kun." Silver told him firmly.  
  
"Well, okay...but Sensei, you REALLY should think about my suggestion. It would help a lot and--"  
  
"As I was SAYING," the teacher threw a penetrating glare in his student's direction, and this finally shut up Horo-horo, much to _everyone's_ great relief. The latter looked mildly insulted, but since he was used to being dissed by teachers, the sulking didn't last for very long. It was already a routinely event--Horo-horo's efforts to reason out with teachers in order to get out of some classroom exercise, that is--but that didn't make it any less tiring to listen to. Although it amused most of his fellow classmates, it irritated teachers to no end, and would usually result in the students getting extra homework instead of getting out of it entirely. "...the equation for the magnitude of the emf." Silver looked around again. "Anyone?"  
  
Anna stole a glance at the clock on top of the blackboard and stifled a groan. _Five minutes before class ends. Darn it._ She could feel a sense of trepidation hovering on the pit of her stomach. As the top student in the class, teachers usually called on _her_ to answer their questions if in case no one is brave enough to volunteer...and that happens quite often. Normally, Anna wouldn't mind, but right now...right _now_, she was too preoccupied. And besides, she didn't even know what the lesson was all about, having been unable to concentrate on anything else but her prom dress during the past couple of minutes.   
  
"Kyouyama-san?" She muttered a violent curse as the inevitable happened. Slipping her foot back underneath her desk, she raised her head and gave the teacher her most thoughtful look as she stood up.  
  
"16x plus 20y?" She offered. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Yoh shift suddenly. "That's my guess," she added, inching closer and making sure her childhood..._friend_ was way out of the teacher's view.  
  
Silver chuckled. "Nice try, Anna. But this isn't Math class." He looked around, wondering why none of the students were laughing at his little joke, but Anna knew why. None of them wanted to suffer her wrath.  
  
Still, though...not once in her life had she ever made a mistake in front of class. Yoh was going to pay dearly for this. Very dearly. _So, this morning's toilet water wasn't enough, was it?_ She could feel a slight warmth creeping up to her cheeks as she remembered how he had somehow managed to sneak a peek at her very naked body earlier this morning. She was never going to forget that for as long as she lived. _Never, and that's a promise. Once I get my chance, Baka, I swear, you will rue the day you met Kyouyama Anna. I can think up of a lot worse things than toilet water, believe me. No one gets to see me naked and lives to tell it to the rest of the world. No one._  
  
_No one, except for you..._she fought the urge to groan out loud. _Where did _that_ come from?_  
  
"Does anyone else have any idea?" Silver tried again.  
  
Anna glanced at the clock again. _Two more minutes._  
  
"Hmm...let's see...Asakura Yoh-kun?" She stifled another groan.   
  
_This canNOT happen.   
_   
Unable to contain herself, she kicked Yoh swiftly in the shin.  
  
Abruptly, he stood up, very much wide awake. "I DIDN'T DO IT!" He protested loudly.  
  
Silence. Yoh glanced around. "Uh..." He gave Anna a puzzled look.  
  
She glared at him. She already tried to help him. But...shouting something that didn't make sense at all in front of the class? _You're on your own on this one, Baka._  
  
"Yoh-kun? You didn't do WHAT?" Silver gave him a stern look.  
  
"Uh...well...e...hehehe..." he scratched his head and grinned sheepishly. "Sensei, I--"  
  
_RRINNNGGG!!!  
_   
Silver frowned with disappointment just as Yoh heaved a huge sigh of relief. "Okay, we'll continue this tomorrow. And you'd better be PREPARED, Yoh-kun. I'll be calling you first thing tomorrow."  
  
"Yes, sir!" Yoh responded quickly.  
  
"Good. Class dismissed." Silver picked up his things and exited through the front door.  
  
Yoh turned to Anna. "Was I sleeping?" He sat down and grimaced, then started rubbing his sore shin.  
  
Anna rolled her eyes. "Duh. What do you think?" She closed her sewing notebook and picked up her binder, trying her best to ignore him. He was staring at her. He was staring at her intently. "What?"  
  
"Thanks for waking me up," he said seriously. Then, he picked up the white handkerchief from his desk. "...And for this," he added, patting the small white cloth to his lips, dabbing at the remaining residue of his...sleep, and subsequently grinning at her. "I mean it." He held her gaze for a couple of minutes.  
  
For a brief moment, Anna found herself mesmerized. She couldn't look away, no matter how hard she tried.  
  
_God, he would have been perfect if it wasn't for the stupidity. Why did he have to be so stupid? More importantly, why do _ I_ have to be the one picking up after his mess and fussing over him?  
_   
_Umm, let's see, Anna...could it be because you _ like_ it?  
_   
"OHAYO!" Hao's voice interrupted her thoughts. He skipped around the classroom, smiling sweetly at everyone before settling himself on the seat beside his brother. "Did I miss anything?" He asked, looking curiously back and forth from his brother to Anna. "Ice Queen?"  
  
At that moment, Anna looked away. She was glad her face was hidden away from Yoh's view; she'd rather be caught dead than allow him to see the faint blush that was currently staining her cheeks.  
  
_...Yep. You like it, alright.  
_   
  
  
TSUZUKU.  
  
  
  
_Review Replies:_ **bOw-doWn-tO-KeiKO**, glad you do.^^ **Sheo Darren**, I totally agree, and all the more reason to love him. Yep, I've seen your update, and I must say I love it to bits.=) **Nezumi**, thanks. I actually love that bit, too.^^ **SkyDancerHawk**, leave some for me, ne?*wink* **keiko**, thanks a lot. **KristiexxNguyen**, aww...a binder? That's cool! I have him IRL, though. XD **Saikoro**, you'll find out soon!=) **Itako No Anna Asakura**, update wish granted right here.=) **mousee**, thank you. As for those other fics, you'll know when I've updated them, rest assured. **AnG3L1c*diVa-chan**, hope you liked this one. **GoddessLD**, thanks. **TN4**, you'll find out a little later on. As for Ren and Lyserg...proximity breeds friendship, so to speak. They've been neighbors for a whole decade now, in this little AU world, so...yeah. **skaurali sweetheart**, Hao's kinda used to it, being bad and all.^^ But he enjoys embarrassing people, anyway. Zeke sucks, ne? Good thing we don't have the dub here. **Fluff Inc**, glad you liked them! I was actually a little hesitant about the Ren and Lyserg thing...but I do think it's possible for them to be best friends, in the AU world. **gatita**, you'll find out in the next couple of scenes (and acts). Hope you did well on your German test! **Eikou**, hehehe...glad you liked that bit! A large pack of Doritos, a dozen donuts, and a whole 12-pack case of Mountain Dew.^~ Yumyum for Horo. **cherri-chan**, here's the update! Hope you like it! **Takari-san**, well...I'll see what I can do about those love poems.*wink* **ahnigurL**, here ya go.^^ **Mendori-chan**, thank you. Here it is! **Lafine**, yes, everyone loves Hao, absolutely (except for the guys, but that's understandable, ne?). **Dragon Pearl1**, good point.^^ There's probably a reason for that.*wink* **~Hotaru~**, I totally agree. Of all the names in this planet, why Zeke?!?*shakes head* Totally demoralizes and degrades Hao-sama's dignity! 


	9. Act II, Scene 3: On Schemes and Stupidit...

**Promenade  
by Apple-chan  
**  
Disclaimer: I'm sure you all know what this means.  
  
Summary: Four couples, one perfect night...or is it? A 5-act tale on how four young men and four young women fall in love at the night of their Junior-Senior Prom. YXA, RXP, LXJ, and HXT.  
  
Warnings: AU, PG-13, and the appearance of Hao.^_^  
  
  
  
**ACT II: Ready.  
**  
  
_SCENE 3: On Schemes and Stupidity_.  
  
  
"Binoculars?"  
  
"Check."  
  
"Camera?"  
  
"Check."  
  
"Tape recorder?"  
  
Tamao sighed, then tapped the aforesaid contraption with her finger and slid it over the table towards the editor-in-chief. "Check." She then gave him a doubtful look. "I don't see how this is going to work, Sempai."   
  
"It will. Trust me."  
  
"I do. It's just that..." She frowned at all the stuff on the table. "How do you know we're not going to fail like we did the last TEN times?"  
  
"Because I've got a plan," Horo-horo declared with a grin as he placed all their necessary materials inside his backpack. "...And it's going to work. It's _got_ to work. Otherwise...we're doomed." He flashed her a questioning look. "Lunch?"  
  
With another sigh, the pink-haired managing editor placed a wrapped bento box in his hands. "You know, this will be a LOT easier if we just asked my cousin to give us a tour, she's _head_ of the prom committee--"  
  
"We can't do that. We have to catch them when they're unarmed _and_ unaware," he said decisively. "...And even if we tell Anna, she'll never agree with it."  
  
"Of course she will. We'll just have to ask her nicely--"  
  
"Forget it," he interrupted. "We're not asking her and that's final." He gave her a stern look. "Understood?"  
  
"H...hai." She said reluctantly.   
  
"Good." He paused thoughtfully and gazed at her intently for several minutes, as if he wanted to tell her something. After a while, though, he shook his head, probably dismissing the whole thing. "I'll take charge of the equipment, and you take charge of our lunch. Let's go." With a small sigh, he gestured to her, slung the backpack over his shoulder, and got out of the room.  
  
Tamao picked up the bento box and followed him, all the while wondering what it was that had made him stop and stare at her those past couple of minutes. She found it strangely meaningful, for some reason.  
  
  
***  
  
  
"This was _your_ plan?" Tamao stared blankly at the pile of wooden boxes that were positioned like a makeshift staircase leading up to the windows of the school gym.  
  
"Yep," Horo-horo said proudly.  
  
She glanced at him queerly, wondering if he was going crazy with obsession over this whole prom-_Quill_ issue. "Sempai, this isn't any different from last time--"  
  
"Yes it is," he countered. "We used to spy on them on the conference room, and because I stupidly forgot that the room's air-conditioned and the windows are always closed, we haven't been able to get much information. Now we're spying on them at the GYM, while they're touching up the decorations." He smiled with satisfaction. "I think it's the best plan I've ever thought of." He turned to her. "Don't you agree?"  
  
Tamao fought the urge to give a loud sigh of exasperation. That would surely dishearten him, big time. As it is, he was already on the brink of hopelessness, what with one failed plan after another. She realized it was somehow her fault that he was like that, but she just didn't have the heart to tell him that his previous plans, as well as this one, were all...uh..._stupid_.  
  
Briefly, she wondered if _all_ of this wasn't for the school paper at all but just some sort of a scheme he had cooked up to force her to make _him_ lunch, eat it _with_ him, and thereby spend her whole lunch period with him and _only_ him. It was a far-fetched idea, though, because it wasn't like him to scheme.   
  
And besides...if he really wanted her to eat lunch with him, all he needed to do was ask, really. She would gladly do it. She'd even make him as much food as he wanted.  
  
After all, that was what friends..._best friends_ are for, right?  
  
"Tamao?"  
  
"...Yeah, it's a good plan," she replied with a sigh of resignation.  
  
He grinned. "I knew it." Rubbing his hands together, he unzipped his pack and brought out all the equipment they needed for the stake-out. Grabbing the binoculars and camera, he then proceeded to climb the makeshift staircase until he reached the top. "Turn the recorder on at my signal," he instructed.  
  
"Okay." She climbed several steps until she was right beside him on the topmost box, just beneath the open windows. "Sempai, we should eat our lunch before it gets cold," she told him, smiling with amusement upon seeing the binoculars against his eyes, his hands holding on to it like it was some sort of security blanket. In a way, it probably was--for him.   
  
"Um...sure," he said absently. "Just stick the food in my mouth. Where's that recorder?"  
  
"Here," she nudged him on the shoulder with it. "Should I turn it on?"  
  
"Maybe later. Oh hey, there's your cousin." He chuckled wryly. "_...Man_, I certainly wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of those terrifying glares. It'll drive me half to death." He clucked his tongue, wincing slightly as he watched Oyamada Manta, self-appointed Student Council Treasurer, cower uneasily underneath Kyouyama Anna's gaze. "Just take a look at Manta. Seems like he's quite ready to bolt any second now. Your cousin can be pretty ruthless."  
  
Tamao smiled fondly at the mention of Anna. "At least she gets things done that way. Here." She held out a rice ball against his mouth.  
  
He took a bite. "Fanks," he said with his mouth full. "...You know, I honestly don't understand what Yoh sees in her. I mean, is it the glare?"  
  
At the mention of Yoh, Tamao felt a pang deep inside her heart. "Anna-neechan's got a lot of good qualities," she said quietly. She took several bites of her own lunch and swallowed, silently wishing that the pain would disappear. She'd always been aware of Yoh's burgeoning...feelings for her cousin, but she'd constantly dismissed it as nothing, and still had high hopes that one day...one day, _he'd_ notice her. Up to now, she still kept that flame of hope burning. She still had a chance. Even though she had a very powerful rival in the form of her cousin, as long as she never gave up hoping, one day, it would happen. He would love her as much as she loved him.  
  
"Hey," her sempai's voice broke through her thoughts. "Hello? Earth to Tamao."  
  
"I'm sorry. You were saying?" She turned to him with a faint smile.  
  
He had abandoned his binoculars and now held a slightly apologetic look in his face. "I made you think about Yoh again, didn't I?"  
  
She shook her head. "It's really nothing."  
  
"Gomen ne..." he slowly reached out and patted her cheek fondly. "I didn't mean to."  
  
Tamao turned away in an effort to hide the blush that had mysteriously begun to creep up to her cheeks at the onset that his fingers touched her skin. "Horo-horo-sempai, would you...like some more rice ball?"  
  
"Sure," she couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief as he turned back to his binoculars and spying.  
  
She continued the process of feeding him lunch and drinks as well as he resumed watching the proceedings inside the gym.  
  
After a couple of minutes of silence, she started to become puzzled when he hadn't said anything. "Sempai, what's happening there?"  
  
"Nothing important," a frown of irritation hovered on his handsome face. "They're still setting up the decorations; it's just about halfway done. It's gonna be a castle theme," he said dryly. "Thinking 'medieval,' aren't we?"  
  
"I guess Anna-neechan's learned a thing or two from last year's jungle theme prom, that's why we've--I mean, _they've_ decided to stick to the traditional," she mused, taking a large gulp of her tea.  
  
He laughed. "Yeah, last year's was such a disaster, wasn't it?" He shook his head. "Let's cross our fingers and hope that this year wouldn't end up the same way."  
  
"It won't," she said confidently. "As long as Anna-neechan's in charge, it's sure to be successful."  
  
"That's my Tamao. Always the positive thinker, ne?" He turned to her and gave her a little wink.  
  
Her heart gave a slight leap, for some reason. She managed a small nod. "Of course. This is _our_ prom we're talking about."  
  
"Speaking of that," Horo-horo turned to his binoculars again, "I asked Kaasan earlier about your dress and she told me it's just about finished."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Uh-huh." He paused. "So you'll have to come with me later so we can go look at it. But before that, we'll have to drop by our flower shop first. Kaasan insists we should." He looked towards her long enough to give her a smile. "Okay?"   
  
She studied him thoughtfully, wondering if this wasn't some plan he cooked up so he could walk her home..._nah_. "Alright." She told him, then frowned as something else came to her. "Horo-sempai...are you sure it's not going to cost a lot?" She wondered doubtfully. "I mean, Anna-neechan and I don't have a lot of money, and I certainly don't want to ask Yohmei-jiichan or Kino-baachan for anything, they've already given us a lot..." She paused. "And the dress is just too pretty..."  
  
"Nothing to worry about. Kaasan assured me it'll be slashed to half the price. She's willing to bet her life on it...and if not, she says she'll pay half the amount."  
  
"But...what about Pilica-chan's gown? I don't want to add to your expenses--"  
  
"You won't. MY mother doesn't mind if it's for you. Besides...Ren's mother offered to buy Pilica a gown, and Ran-obasan wouldn't take no for an answer, so..." he shrugged. "Anyway, don't worry about it anymore, okay?"  
  
"Okay." She smiled gratefully as she wrapped the empty lunch box and placed it inside her purse. "Why are you so wonderful to me?"  
  
He sighed with exasperation. "I told you. It's because I love you. And I'm your best friend, aren't I?" He said matter-of-factly. "Now stop asking me questions and hand me that recorder."  
  
"Something happening now?" Tamao leaned on top of the highest box and peeked with interest at the window.  
  
"I think so. You might wanna step down from there; the wood's not that solid and we might..." he put down his binoculars as the foundation of the makeshift staircase shook slightly. "Tamao..." he warned, frowning at the structure.  
  
"What's Anna-neechan doing?" She continued to look through the windows, ignoring Horo-horo's warning about the wooden boxes.  
  
"She's holding a conference with the rest of the committee. Tamao, GET DOWN!"  
  
"WHAT?!?" She cautiously tried to make out what her cousin was saying, but they were too far away. _Darn it. If she finds out I've been hanging around Horo-horo sempai again instead of helping out the committee, I'm dead._  
  
"Tamao..."  
  
"Just a sec, Horo-sempai. I need to--" she stopped abruptly as the box she was standing on shook. "What was that?"  
  
He sighed with exasperation again. "I TOLD you. These BOXES aren't that--"  
  
He didn't have time to finish his statement because at that moment, the makeshift staircase wobbled violently and fell apart, sending both him and Tamao crashing down on the grassy pavement.  
  
"--STRONG," he finished lamely, staring at the wrecked boxes with dismay and shaking his head. "Are you alright, Tamao?"  
  
"Y...yeah," Tamao managed, rubbing her sore hip and groaning. "That wasn't a very good idea."  
  
"You can say that again," Horo-horo agreed, rising up and subsequently assisting the pink-haired girl. "That's the last time I'll ever--" he stopped abruptly and gulped as he noticed a blonde-haired figure standing just a couple of feet away from them, glaring the infamous glare of doom® at him. "Uh-oh..."  
  
"Horo-horo sempai, what is it?" Tamao gave him a questioning look before she turned around to see what he was looking at. Her face paled.  
  
"A...Anna-neechan?"  
  
  
  
TSUZUKU.  
  
  
  
_Review Replies:_ **Takari-san**, yep, fear Yoh's lethal drool.^^ Thanks. **yuri-chan dearest**, I certainly hope this chapter is to your liking.=) **ahnigurL**, why thank you.^^ **Mendori-chan**, thanks, thanks! Most especially for the ice cream...choco peanut, yumyum.^^ **GoddessLD** and **AnG3L1c*diVa-chan**, update wish granted.=) **Trinity**, aww...hope I'll be able to make you like Hao even just a bit.^^ I'll try my best! **Lafine**, I feel for Hao...how he must be suffering with that knowledge of being known as Zeke! Anyway, thanks! **Saikoro**, thanks a lot.^^ **SkyDancerHawk**, Hao will be paired up with...*drumroll*...secret.^_~ You'll know when the time comes. Faust and Eliza will be appearing, yupyup, count on it. I'll try to put in as many of the characters as I can (Hao-tachi not included, sorry. Just Hao)...even the power spirits, so yeah, watch out for that. **Anonymousse**, I tried to pull a Horo a lot of times before...and it never works the way I wanted it to.^^;;; Usually end up getting in trouble, so...a warning for you there.^^ **Chibi-IceQueen-Anna**, I feel for you...that used to happen to me too, back in high school, junior year. It sucks, I know.^^ **KristiexxNguyen**, he's as evil as they come, and all the more reason to love him!^^ **Flint**, thank you.^^ **Kira**, actually, the number of times they do talk with each other is during those very rare intellectual sessions. Mainly, during that vampire event in the anime, and a couple of others. And of course, Ren did save Lyserg somewhere in episode 60, I believe.=) **gatita**, you're very welcome.=) **chibi**, thanks, and here's the update! **skaurali sweetheart**, well...that's for me to know, and for all of you to keep on wondering about.^^ Hehehe. **keiko**, here's the update! **Dragon Pearl1**, yep, I totally agree. **Eikou**, yep, it is good to be him. If it wasn't illegal to commit murder, I'd kill those who named him Zeke (which rhymes with "sick").=) **Itako No Anna Asakura**, thank you, thank you. **Fluff Inc**, thank you.^^ And I agree on the Hao bit like, totally. **Sheo Darren**, as Yoh said in the previous chapter, he didn't mean it (although I'm sure he had a nice view...hehehe). And Anna...well...*grins* She's _Anna_. **Cyberlink42**, I'm pretty sure there _are _enough of them. The better statement would probably be, _you can't get enough of them_. Ne?^^ ** anoyedshehighsupremeautho**, I think I've pretty much answered your q with this chapter, ne? **TN4**, it's nice to see Anna in a whole new light, ne? And yep, indeed, Silver the Patch Priest is the Physics Professor.^^ Don't worry, rest assured, Hao will be annihilating those guys soon...with _me_ by his side.*grin* **Nezumi-chan**, beware the librarian!*grin* Glad I could ease your stress somehow. Love you lots, and so does daddy Hao!^^ **Miko-chan**, hehehe.^^ Wag ka mag-alala, Horo-horo leaving Pilica in Ren's able (_very_ able) hands...is all part of my grand plans.=) And Tamao...she's got her reasons for confiding to Hao, and you'll find that out as we go along.=) As for your other requests: Marco? I'll think about it. Chocolove...will be appearing sometime later, I won't tell when.*wink* Luc and Sarah?!? My God, pareho kayo ng utak ni Reen.*sweatdrop* I'll see what I can do. Thank you so much! (Asan na yung mga fic mo, hmm?*wiggles eyebrows*) 


	10. Act II, Interlude: Obsessions, A Stalker...

**Promenade  
by Apple-chan  
**  
Disclaimer: I'm sure you all know what this means.  
  
Summary: Four couples, one perfect night...or is it? A 5-act tale on how four young men and four young women fall in love at the night of their Junior-Senior Prom. YXA, RXP, LXJ, and HXT.  
  
Warnings: AU, PG-13, and the appearance of Hao.^_^  
  
  
  
**ACT II: Ready.  
**  
  
_INTERLUDE: Obsessions, A Stalker, and Drowning_.  
  
  
"I am so totally, totally honest-to-goodnessly sorry, Anna-neechan!" Tamao told her cousin pleadingly for the tenth time as they entered the ladies' room. "It will never, ever happen again, I promise!"  
  
"You BETTER believe it will never happen again," Anna muttered, tossing her hair and flashing her younger cousin a penetrating look as she threw her purse on top of the sink counters. "...Because I'm never going to allow you near that freaking fruitcake again unless you're with ME," she added, clearly referring to Horo-horo.   
  
Tamao gave a small sniff, and lowered her eyes. "You didn't have to be so harsh on him," she murmured quietly, briefly recalling with a slight wince how her poor azure-haired sempai practically flew towards the rooftop of the gym just to escape Anna's wrath--to no avail, because the blonde (as she was quite used to chasing Yoh and Hao around the place for almost a decade now) was leagues faster than he was.   
  
Coupled with her infamous trademark glare of doom, her terrifying slaps, and her foreboding voice--all of which were worse than being trapped in the lowest parts of Cocytus--Anna had grabbed Horo-horo by the shirt and proceeded to give him a thorough verbal and physical lashing that could have sent a million war soldiers running home to their mothers crying. In fact, if it weren't for Tamao, the azure-haired senior would have suffered a fate worse than the most painful disembowelment, burning at the stake, castration, stoning to death and goodness knows what else--all courtesy of Anna; but as mentioned, Tamao stopped her cousin before everything became all bloody. Which was just as well.  
  
After that, Horo-horo had said a hasty goodbye to Tamao, and with the little strength he had left, he ran off, faster than lightning, without looking back, leaving the pink-haired junior wondering if she would ever see him again. Or if he would have enough courage to even so much as go ten feet near her. But then again, it wasn't the first time Anna had unleashed her hellish wrath on him...he was probably as used to it as the Asakura twins were. Or not.  
  
The blonde in question snorted. "Serves him right," she muttered dryly, turning on the faucet and washing her hands, occasionally glancing at her reflection in the mirror. "He's never going to drag you into those...stupid _schemes_ of his. I won't allow it."  
  
"But Anna-neechan...it's for the school paper!" Tamao said desperately. "I told you we were doing a special issue for the prom, and Horo-sempai said that--"  
  
"I don't CARE what he SAID." Anna interrupted firmly. "You are NEVER working with him and that's FINAL." She gave her cousin a look. "Understand?"  
  
Tamao nodded miserably, wondering if she could maybe--just maybe--try to reason out with her cousin for once. Just this once. "Anna-neechan...I'm SIXTEEN," she said quietly, resting her elbows on top of the sink counters and gazing at Anna as she ran a comb through her hair. "You know that, right?"  
  
The blonde raised an eyebrow. "Your point?"  
  
The pink haired junior sighed with resignation. "Can't you even let me make my own decisions for once? I want to help him out. Can't I do that without having you breathing down his neck?" She wondered aloud.  
  
Anna's face remained impassive. She placed her comb inside her purse and studied her cousin's sad, sad face thoughtfully.   
  
Maybe she really _was_ going overboard with this protectiveness. Hao often accused her of being too strict with Tamao, and of being too stern when it comes to Yoh, but it wasn't like she would ever listen to that walking menace. The way she was with Tamao was _her_ business. She was the only one her cousin had left, and it was up to her to make sure Tamao was safe from any sort of harm...or bad influence.   
  
And the way she handled Yoh--even though he was Hao's twin--was her business. Making sure _he_ was all straightened out was _her_ business...after all, she had vowed that to herself _and_ to his grandparents around a decade ago, since obviously, Hao was too far along in his perversities to be straightened out. Hao was beyond saving...whereas Yoh still had hope--through her. She was the only one who can straighten him out. For that matter, _she_ was the only one who had enough strength to do that.   
  
And, she was the only one who was _willing_.  
  
Which explains her obsession. It _is_ an obsession, now that she thought about it.  
  
But it's not like she could help it. "Tamao, you could have gotten badly hurt earlier today," she told her cousin in a low, quiet tone. "I don't want that to happen again. I'm trying to protect you. I'm sure you know that."  
  
"I know...but I can protect myself," Tamao promised her cousin brightly. "And that thing about the wooden boxes...that was an accident. It wasn't Horo-sempai's fault. You know he'll never try to hurt me."  
  
Anna frowned darkly. "I still don't want you hanging around him."  
  
"Well if it would make you feel any better..." Tamao began, "Horo-sempai asked me to go somewhere later this afternoon...something about my prom dress," she explained. "Just so you can be reassured, why don't you come with us?" Her eyes were pleading. _Give him a chance. Please._  
  
"...Maybe I will." Anna said with a small sigh of resignation. _Give the guy a break. Give the guy a chance. Right._ "Just promise me one thing," she added suddenly.  
  
"Hai?" Tamao smiled at her cousin as she fixed her hair.  
  
This time, Anna's face went stern again. "Don't you EVER miss a committee meeting in favor of that GUY again." Her voice held a note of threat. "Understand?"  
  
Tamao's face was eager as she nodded. "Understood!"  
  
  
***  
  
  
"One, two, three..." Pilica muttered under her breath as she stormed across the hallways of the school, extremely pissed off. And why wouldn't she be? People were ignoring her. Her guy friends, who used to flock around all over her every single time she passed them by, were all running away at the second that she approached. None of them would even so much as glance at her, not to mention even greet her a measly hello. She would have appreciated that.  
  
Obviously she wasn't going to get any of it, though--and she knew why. They were avoiding her--ALL of them--and within reason.  
  
Pausing abruptly, she turned around and flashed a dark, furious glare at the person behind her. At the person following her. The one and only reason she was losing all of her friends and admirers. And suitors. Him.  
  
Said person crossed his arms over his chest and gave her his most arrogant grin.  
  
Clenching her fists at her sides, she looked up to the ceiling and prayed for...self control. If she didn't watch herself, after the count of ten, her perfectly-manicured nails would be drawing the very, very obnoxious blood that flowed deep within Tao Ren's veins. And savoring it.  
  
_Aikido is nothing compared to my nails,_ she thought darkly. _Nothing. You'd do well to remember that, Ren-niichan. _  
  
Shaking her head (and thanking God for that brief shower of self-control), she sighed, turned around and continued walking.  
  
And so did the person behind her. The person who, as you've probably all surmised, was none other than the very rich, very famous, very strong, very handsome, very popular, and very, very, VERY arrogant Tao Ren.  
  
Pilica gritted her teeth as she caught the very audible noises of his strutting. He was infuriating. "...Four, five, six..." her knuckles were probably dead-white as of now. If it wasn't a sin to skin him alive (not to mention disgusting), she would have done so more than an hour ago. _Honestly, what is UP with him following me all throughout lunch? More correctly, what is the DEAL with him following me for the past two weeks? Is this some sort of a bet he cooked up with Oniichan?_  
  
Sighing once more, she paused again and whipped about.  
  
He had stopped when she did. He still had his arms crossed over his chest. The white school uniform he was wearing was halfway unbuttoned, she realized. And his dark trousers...they fit him very well. His hair--even with that very conspicuous tongari--complemented the whole picture.  
  
Handsome, that's what he was, and he obviously knew it, if that incredibly arrogant and obnoxious smirk on his face was any indication. All the girls who passed him by in the halls gave him admiring glances. By heck, some of them practically swooned and suffered through nosebleeds as they went by.  
  
_Disgusting._  
  
At that point, he arched an eyebrow, and Pilica realized, much to her great horrification, that she had been staring at him for the past couple of minutes. Studying him. _Admiring_ him, so to speak.  
  
And he obviously knew it, if that slowly widening grin on his face was any indication.  
  
Truth be told, he _had_ been doing the exact same thing...to her. Staring. Admiring. _Drooling_, even.  
  
_Hmph._ She could feel a smile breaking out of her face. _Yes, I know. You think I'm beautiful. You think I'm gorgeous, you want to kiss m..._  
  
Pilica looked up to the ceiling again and mentally berated herself. _Honestly, if I hear that song in my head ONE MORE TIME, I'll scream._ She then turned around, hastily shook her head, and resumed walking.  
  
Behind her, he continued to strut. She could hear his faint chuckle as she walked. He was probably laughing at her. The nerve.  
  
"Seven, eight, nine..." She muttered under her breath. One more and she was going to explode.   
  
_Oohh, where the HECK is that BATHROOM?!?  
_  
_...Glory Hallelujah._ Upon spotting the sign on top of the door that said, "Ladies," Pilica stopped and heaved a sigh of relief.   
  
A tall, hard form bumped into her, purposely knocking her back against the wall. It didn't take her long to guess who it was.  
  
Her stalker. Him.  
  
_...Ten._   
  
And she snapped.  
  
"REN-NIICHAN, COULD YOU STOP FOLLOWING ME ALREADY?!?" She screamed in his face, unmindful of the curious glances that everyone was giving her.  
  
Ren looked around, flashing everyone his most penetrating glare. At once, all the other students ran in each and every direction and minded their own business. If they even so much as piss off Tao Ren, for sure, there would be hell to pay. He then turned to Pilica. "_Following_ you?" He raised an eyebrow and pointed to himself. "Who, me?"  
  
"Yes, YOU." She stomped on his foot, poked him on the chest and glared at him. "You've been following me for the PAST TWO WEEKS. What is this, some sort of GAME you and Oniichan cooked up to infuriate me? Huh?" She placed her hands on her hips and raised a demanding eyebrow.   
  
A warm blush crept up to her cheeks as the navy-haired junior looked her over from head to toe, appraising her. "You mean _this_?" Golden eyes locked with hers intently.  
  
Fighting off the redness in her cheeks, she rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "STOP pretending like you don't know, and ANSWER ME!" She aimed a fist at his stomach.  
  
...He caught her fist in his hands, patting it gently, a smile of amusement grazing his lips. "I wasn't following you," he said mildly.  
  
Pilica's eyes widened in indignation as she struggled to get her fist out of his grasp. She didn't want him touching her. It was unnerving. "LIAR," she spat out.  
  
"I was _guarding_ you." he corrected with a haughty grin. He tentatively stroked her fist with his thumbs. "There is a difference, you know."  
  
"Difference? It's the same darn THING!" She shouted incredulously. "If Oniichan's putting you up to this, I DEMAND that you stop it this INSTANT!" She continued to struggle out of his grasp, but he wouldn't let go of her fisted hand. Strangely enough, she was actually liking it... "LET MY HAND GO, DARN IT!"  
  
He shrugged. "Fine." He dropped her hand to her side, much to her great relief...and disappointment. _Disappointment?!?_ Then, he leaned against the wall beside the door of the ladies' room and gave her an expectant look.   
  
"STOP following ME!" She snarled in a low, threatening tone, her dark blue eyes flashing.  
  
"MAKE ME." He challenged.  
  
"Ooohhh!" Pilica fought the urge to tear her hair out as she stormed inside the bathroom. "I hate him, I hate him, I HATE HIM!"  
  
"I'll wait for you here!" He called loudly from outside. Laughter and amusement laced his voice.  
  
_Skinning. Strangulation. Castration._ The three words echoed in her mind as she approached the sink and tossed her purse on counter. "He. Is. Infuriating!" She said viciously as she opened the faucet and washed her hands.  
  
Anna and Tamao, who had paused from their conversation at the instant that they heard Pilica's shouting, turned to the sophomore girl.  
  
"Who's infuriating, Pilica-chan?" Tamao asked Horo-horo's younger sister.  
  
"HE is!" Tossing her head, Pilica inclined her head to the bathroom door.  
  
"Who?" Anna arched an eyebrow and glanced at the door.  
  
"TAO REN!" Pilica answered impatiently. "You know what he's been doing for the past two weeks? Following me. STALKING ME. It's driving me NUTS!" She added furiously. "...And you know what ELSE?" With that, she proceeded to retelling the whole and the half of the tale of Tao Ren and her hatred for him in a monologue that could have filled all the shelves in the whole Library of Congress.  
  
  
***  
  
  
"So I'll see you later?" Lyserg asked, smiling at the freshman girl as they walked across the halls. "After class, at the music room?"  
  
Jeanne nodded, shyly returning the smile. "...Hai."  
  
"Good." He patted her head fondly. "Don't knock yourself out memorizing those pieces, alright?"   
  
She nodded again, fighting off the hot blush that had crept up to her cheeks for the third time that day. Odd, it always seems to happen only during those times when she was with Lyserg...or when she catches the sight of him. Like early this morning, for instance. And then, right before class, when the two of them accidentally met on their way to Professor Silverberg.  
  
And then, there was now...  
  
"Oh, and Jeanne..." His voice broke through her thoughts. She looked up at him and noticed that there was a slight note of concern in his eyes. "Eat something, okay? You're losing weight," he added, eyeing her critically from head to toe, making her face flame full force. "You'll get sick if you start missing meals...and I don't want that to happen, ever," he proclaimed, raising his hand and stroking her cheek tenderly.  
  
Jeanne wondered if she was ever going to stop blushing. She was probably going to die of blood loss any second now... "I...I will," she managed to say in a slightly shaky, breathless voice. "D...don't worry about me, Lyserg-niichan. I...I'll be fine."  
  
"Are you sure?" Worry and doubt was reflected in his green eyes as he stared at her intently.  
  
"Uh-huh." She smiled reassuringly, trying to break off the eye contact with him. They had stopped right in the middle of the hall, and he was still stroking her cheek. His touch felt so warm against her skin...and she knew that, had she been a block of ice, she would have melted right on the spot. As it is, it was bad enough that she was blushing like there was no tomorrow, but to make matters worse--her heart. From the onset that his hand brushed against her skin, her heart had started to go into overdrive mode, and she didn't even know why.  
  
Either way, if she doesn't...get away from him now, or if she doesn't at least restrain herself from feeling whatever she was feeling, whatever you call it--no doubt she was going to die before it was all over--from blood loss, or heart attack, or both.  
  
_What a good way to die, though. Dying in front of Lyserg-niichan...dying in his arms...is the best way to die. A blissful death. A celestial death..._Jeanne stopped. Fourteen years into the world and she was already thinking about dying. How horrid.  
  
"Lyserg-niichan? I...have to go now..." she told him hesitantly, wondering why in the name of Saint Peter and Heaven couldn't she break away from his touch. It would have to take him pulling away from her for her to manage to break away from him.  
  
Thankfully enough, he did. "Okay," he said with a nod. The two of them resumed walking. "I have to drop by the gym, anyway. I need to help out the prom committee before Anna-sempai decides to kick me out for good," he added, smiling ruefully.   
  
As they passed by the ladies' room, Jeanne heaved a sigh of relief just as Lyserg stopped in his tracks, raising an eyebrow at the young man who was leaning against the wall beside the bathroom door, arms crossed.  
  
"...Thank you," Jeanne whispered, hesitantly reaching for her sempai's hand and patting it with gratitude.   
  
She shouldn't have.  
  
Lyserg grinned at her, and squeezed her hand. "You're welcome," he told her, while at the same time, flashing a questioning look at his best friend.   
  
Ren merely shrugged airily, and pointed his thumb inside the bathroom, all the while observing Lyserg and Jeanne at the corner of his eye. A slow grin was forming on his face.  
  
"G...goodbye," Jeanne could feel her face flaming full force again as she stared at their joined hands. With the remaining amount of strength she possessed, she pulled away from him. Before he had a chance to react, she hastily rushed inside the bathroom, feeling as if her heart was going to explode from her chest.   
  
And it was all because of him.  
  
She tossed her purse on top of the sink counters, leaned against the sink, and rested her forehead against the wall mirror. Outside, she could faintly hear her Lyserg-niichan's voice as he spoke to Tao Ren. Inside the bathroom, all around her, she could hear a loud, high-pitched and familiar voice talking a mile a minute. One single solitary voice.  
  
She gave a small sigh, staring at herself in the mirror as she opened the faucet. She splashed some cold water onto her face, hoping to at least alleviate some of her blushing--to no avail. As long as she continued to hear Lyserg's voice outside, her blushing was probably never going to subside. She took a couple of breaths, hoping, this time, to at least calm the beating of her thundering heart.  
  
_...There._ She continued to splash the water onto her face, trying very hard to block out the voices from outside. She concentrated on the voices inside the bathroom instead.  
  
"...He beat up ALL of my FRIENDS just because ONIICHAN asked him to do it and just because he KNEW they wouldn't be able to fight back because he was STRONGER than them PUT TOGETHER," Pilica was telling Anna and Tamao. "And he's been DRAGGING me out of CHEERLEADING practice each and EVERY single day because ONIICHAN asked him to do it and he even CALLS my friends AIRHEADS!" She tossed her head defiantly. "...And then just LAST WEEK, he dragged me out of SCHOOL without even telling me WHY when the only REASON was his MOTHER asked HIM to PICK me UP and take me to their ESTATE so that I can get myself MEASURED for my PROM DRESS! I mean, he could have just TOLD ME, but HE DIDN'T! And there I was THINKING that he'd suddenly LOST his MIND and DECIDED to KIDNAP me for his own PERVERTED purposes!" She added darkly. "I mean, the only reason I WAS KICKING and PROTESTING and SCREAMING was because I THOUGHT he was planning to MOLEST me! He could have just TOLD me that it was RAN-OBASAN who wanted ME to come! But it HAD to be a SECRET," she said with sarcasm. "HONESTLY, he may be HANDSOME, but as far as I'M CONCERNED, all of that is pretty USELESS since he's a MEAN, SELFISH, and ARROGANT JERK! I mean, WHY CAN'T he be MORE like Lyserg-sempai?"  
  
At this note, Jeanne sputtered. She started coughing out all the water that she, for one reason or another, managed to swallow.  
  
_Rule number one, Maiden Jeanne Iron: never let yourself get distracted. Especially when there's water in front of you. Lots and lots of water.  
_  
Still coughing, she frantically fumbled for the faucet, mentally berating herself for her carelessness...and rudeness. It was very impolite to listen to other people's conversations--no matter how loud it happens to be. More importantly, it was unethical to get involved and immersed in them. Why, if her father finds out that she's been...eavesdropping, so to speak--he'd probably have something to say about it. More than that, he'd probably think she _deserved_ to be punished for doing such a thing...and rightfully so. He'd probably say that drowning in a sink full of water wasn't enough karma to purge the sin of eavesdropping; or, horrors of all horrors--he'd probably wish to extract the punishment on her himself, just to ensure that she was completely pure and free of sin again. That was Jeanne's father--Sir Iron, businessman extraordinaire, lead soloist baritone of the London Westminster Choir, and self-righteous Evangelist of the Church of England.   
  
Truth be told, when he was younger, Sir Iron never used to be this..._uptight_, but certain events in his life (his love life, specifically) and the relationships that he's gained--as well as lost--over the past two decades made him the man that he is now.  
  
Certain events which, somehow or other, involved the father of a certain green-haired junior boy named...  
  
"_Lyserg?_" Tamao's voice. "Pilica-chan, what does Lyserg have to do with this?"  
  
An irritated sigh. "Tamao-sempai, Lyserg-sempai and Ren-niichan are BEST FRIENDS, aren't they?"  
  
"Well...they _are_, but what does that have to do with--"  
  
"What I mean to SAY WAS," Pilica interrupted, "...that maybe, just _maybe_, if Ren-niichan was more like Lyserg-sempai, then I wouldn't be having THIS problem!" She paused. "I wouldn't be STALKED, I wouldn't be ANNOYED, I wouldn't be as ANGRY as I am now, and MAYBE I would even LIKE him a little. But NOO, he just had to be an ARROGANT, RUDE, SELFISH, OBNOXIOUS and MEAN BASTARD!"  
  
"Do you _really_ hate him that much?" This was Anna.  
  
"Of course I do!" Pilica said impatiently. "Why do you think I'm telling you all THIS?"  
  
"Well...it sure seems like you don't," the blonde observed thoughtfully. "I mean, you can't stop talking about him--"  
  
The azure-haired girl glared at her brother's classmate. "Anna-sempai, WHOSE side are you ON?"  
  
Anna shrugged. "I'm just saying that--" She broke off abruptly upon noticing the silvery-blue haired freshman girl, with her head leaning on the sink across from the three of them. She seemed to be struggling with the faucet, which was flowing freely and in full force. "Hey...excuse me," she took a couple of steps and nudged the younger girl. "...Jeanne, right? Freshman class representative?" Her tone was low, and firm.  
  
Jeanne nodded without looking up. She continued to fumble for the faucet, all the while sputtering, hacking, and coughing.  
  
Anna frowned, reached over and turned off the faucet. "Are you trying to drown yourself?"  
  
Jeanne shook her head vigorously, fumbling around her pocket for something to dry herself with.   
  
Pilica reached into her purse, produced an azure-blue hand towel, and handed it to the girl. "Here you go."  
  
"...Thank you," Jeanne whispered, finally raising her head from the sink and daintily wiping her whole face--and her hair--with the towel. She smiled gratefully at the three girls, recognizing each and every one of them.  
  
Tamao returned her smile. "Were we too noisy?" The pink-haired junior recognized her as one of the occasional news staffers for _The Quill_.  
  
Jeanne shook her head again. "Iie. I was just..." she paused for a moment, listening in to the voices outside. She breathed a sigh of relief upon realizing that she couldn't hear Lyserg's voice anymore. He probably left for the gym already. _Thank God._ "It's nothing."  
  
"Hey," Pilica spoke up suddenly, "...you're going with Lyserg-sempai to the prom, right?"  
  
Jeanne could feel herself blushing again. "I'm not. I mean...it's not like that at all! I'll just be singing, and he'll be playing the piano--"  
  
"In other words, it's a DATE," Pilica concluded with a bright smile.  
  
Tamao gave her a puzzled look. "How did you know about that?"  
  
Pilica shrugged. "I'm third string soloist," she said matter-of-factly. "And..." her face darkened, and she glared at the door, "Ren-niichan mentioned something about it last week." She hissed a breath. "...When he _kidnapped_ me," she ended in a mutter.  
  
"It's not a date." Jeanne said quietly.  
  
Anna, who had stayed silently appraising the freshman all this time, spoke up. "Was Lyserg outside before you got here?"  
  
Jeanne nodded serenely. "But I think he left some time ago."  
  
Anna continued to gaze at her intently. "Were you trying to avoid him?"  
  
"N...no!" Jeanne shook her head vehemently. "I was just..." _Trying to calm the beating of my heart. Trying to prevent myself from dying of blood loss and heart attack. Trying to stop whatever it is I seem to be feeling every single time I'm around him. Every single time he's touching me, and every single time he's looking at me, and talking to me, and..._ "I needed to wash my face," she finished lamely.  
  
The blonde raised an amused eyebrow. "Really."   
  
Jeanne nodded, meeting the older girl's eyes squarely, without flinching. Silently, though, she was wishing that something would happen so that she can be freed from this..._cross-examination_ courtesy of her Anna-sempai. She was well aware of how...scary the blonde can be, and although it didn't frighten her one bit, it _did _unnerve her, the way the senior can practically read a person just by a mere glance.   
  
The most terrifying thing about it was...Jeanne was as transparent as a clear glass window. Which made it all worse.  
  
_TING, TING, TING!_  
  
"Uh-oh. Warning bell," Tamao announced with slight alarm, flashing a meaningful look at the three girls. "We'd better go. Anna-neechan, we still have to look for Yoh-niisan. We have two minutes to do that," she added with a nudge at her cousin.  
  
Anna took one last look at Jeanne and nodded at her cousin. "...Yeah, I forgot." She frowned darkly. "If I find out that he's been sleeping on his job AGAIN, there's going to be HELL to pay. We'll see you," she arched an eyebrow and nodded at both Pilica and Jeanne.  
  
"See you around, Pilica-chan, Jeanne-san!" Tamao gave them both a brief wave as she followed her cousin out the door.  
  
"Yeah, see you." Pilica waved at them absently. And then, unmindful of the warning bell, she peeked cautiously out the door...and gave a low hiss of frustration. "Darn IT," she muttered. "Ooh, why can't he leave me ALONE?" With a loud, infuriated sigh, she grabbed her purse from the sink counter and flashed Jeanne a small apologetic look before heading out the door.  
  
She could hear the azure-haired sophomore shouting her head off at someone outside. Ren-niichan, she guessed. Ren-niichan, her Lyserg-niichan's best friend. Amidst Pilica's screams and shrieks, she could hear him laughing his head off. After some time, though, the laughter and the shrieking gradually faded.  
  
The second warning bell rang.  
  
Jeanne leaned against the wall of the bathroom, feeling as if she had lost all of her strength. She wondered if she would even make it to rehearsals later this afternoon. Rehearsals with Lyserg. Again.  
  
_If you survived the first two weeks, you'll survive this last two weeks, Jeanne Iron. All you need to do is focus. Focus on the music sheets and the songs, _not_ on Lyserg-niichan.  
_  
_But first, there's something you need to tell him and Professor Silverberg...something very important.  
_  
She felt her stomach growl. Looking up to the ceiling, she gave a small sigh.   
  
_I'm hungry.  
_  
  
  
TSUZUKU.  
  
  
  
_Review Replies__:_ **Mendori-chan**, glad you think so. ** Saikoro**, **syaoranz gurl**, **GoddessLD**, **AnG3L1c*diVa-chan**, **cherri-chan**, **bOw-doWn-tO-KeiKO**, **caro**, **chibi**, **got oranges**, here's the update! **Fe-chan**, don'tcha worry, everyone makes mistakes. Thanks for the review! **Lafine**, he _would_ have, but Tamao was there, so...*laughs* **keiko**, thanks a lot! **KristiexxNguyen**, for the sake of peace, let's just say Hao's _ours_, and leave it at that. Ne?^^ **Itako No Anna Asakura**, belated Happy Birthday to you, then.^^ **Trinity**, you and me both. No fluff just yet...not much, anyway.^^ **Kira**, don't worry about it. Concentrate on school, that's good. Thanks, and here's the update!^^ **flitter bug**, glad you were glad.^^ Thank you, but the plot was actually an idea from a mailing list, so I can't take all the credit. ** Keitorin Asthore**, thanks for reading, and glad you liked my writing style. Review your fics? Sure, why not?^^ **SkyDancerHawk**, sorry, my bad.=) Watch out for SoF here in Act II! Opacho? Weeelll...I'll think about it.^^ **Dragon Pearl1**, I'll leave the guessing up to you.^^ Hao looks good in formal wear...or at least, in a polo shirt. He wore one during his coffee date with Yoh in the manga.^^ **Eikou**, oh yes, everyone loves Anna's patented glare.^^ ** Fluff Inc**, yep, it will get fixed...at least, I hope so.*wink* **Miko-chan**, I won't tell what...pero I have an idea for Luc and Sarah here already. Watch out for it.^^ **Sheo Darren**, but of course, Jeanne's still the best!^^ ** yuri-chan**, I told you to finish it, not to add just 5 sentences.*pouts* Finish it finish it FINISH IT! Oh, and I miss you.^^ **Rian Dark Angel**, you and me both.^^ **FungiFungusRayne**, thanks. Glad you think so.^^ ** TN4**, don't worry, you'll see Hao again...soon.*wink* **Takari-san**, here ya go.^^ **Summer Raindrop**, thanks.^^ Why don't you try and write? Writing is the key to improvement. Heck, I sound like a textbook.^^;;; **gatita**, oh yes. First, you have to find a guy...^_^  
  



	11. Act II, Scene 4: Chocolate Chip and Cher...

**Promenade  
by Apple-chan  
**  
Disclaimer: I'm sure you all know what this means.  
  
Summary: Four couples, one perfect night...or is it? A 5-act tale on how four young men and four young women fall in love at the night of their Junior-Senior Prom. YXA, RXP, LXJ, and HXT.  
  
Warnings: AU, PG-13, and the appearance of Hao.^_^  
  
Umm, excuses to Ryu/Lyserg fans for this chapter.^^;;;  
  
  
**ACT II: Ready.  
**  
  
_SCENE 4: Chocolate Chip and Cherry Cookies_.  
  
  
Ren tapped the newly-baked loaf of bread suspiciously. The juniors were in Home Economics class, currently finalizing their newest project to date--baking. "Are you sure this is baked and _not_ burnt? It's as hard as stone."  
  
"Pretty sure," Tamao examined the baking pan thoughtfully and nodded decisively at her group mate. "It's supposed to be hard on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the inside," she added, glancing at the recipe card, just to be sure.  
  
"Well, that's no _good._" Ren frowned with dismay at their bread. "How are we supposed to know if it's soft on the inside when all we can see is the OUTSIDE? That's just STUPID." He tossed off his apron and glared at the back of their weird-haired Home Economics teacher.  
  
A laugh sounded from below him, and Lyserg rose up and placed a tray laden with a certain kind of cookies on top of the table. "I think we're supposed to _slice_ it, Ren-kun."  
  
"Oh YEAH? And THEN what?"  
  
A sigh. "Then we take a look. Or we taste."  
  
Ren looked at him oddly. "What do _you_ know about baking?"  
  
"More than you do, definitely," Lyserg answered with a bright smile. He started placing the newly-baked cookies in his tray on a medium-sized box. "I bake a lot at home, if you remember."  
  
"Hmph." Ren huffed and resumed staring at their loaf of bread. Arming himself with a knife, he contemplated on whether to slice it or not. He sighed. To slice or _not_ to slice--that is the question.  
  
"Hey, what's that for?" Tamao asked, pointing at the cookie sheet trays Lyserg was emptying. "I thought we were only supposed to bake bread. What's with the cookies?"  
  
"They're for rehearsals," the green-haired boy explained as he wrapped the package in a brown paper bag and placed it inside his backpack. "I mixed the dough up last night but I didn't have time to bake, so...I brought it here."  
  
Ren put down his knife and raised a meaningful eyebrow at his best friend. "Are they for _Jeanne_, maybe?"  
  
"...Yeah." Ignoring the knowing hint in the other boy's comment, Lyserg glanced at the clock. "I have a feeling she's been starving herself for the sake of prom night..."  
  
"Don't you mean for _you_?"  
  
He rolled his eyes at that. "No, Ren-kun, for the _prom_. And NOT another word from you," he added warningly as Ren started to open his mouth again. "...Unless of course, you want _me_ to announce to the whole CLASS the _real_ reason why you're guarding Pilica-chan like a hawk?" He added, a note of threat gracing his soft, angelic features.  
  
"The REAL reason?" Tamao gazed at Ren with interest, picking a stray thin slice of their bread and popping it into her mouth.  
  
Ren shrugged indifferently. "Go ahead. I have nothing to hide." As an afterthought he added, "Horo-horo asked for it."  
  
Lyserg shook his head. "I don't mean _that_. The OTHER reason."  
  
"Eh?" Ren looked at him blankly. "You mean HER? _Please_," he snorted.  
  
Lyserg rolled his eyes again and shook his head with exasperation. "Ren-kun--" he stopped short in alarm as the final dismissal bell rang. "Uh-oh. I'd better go. I don't want Jeanne waiting too long at rehearsals again..." He started fixing all his things, flashing a cautious look at their Home Economics teacher, who still had his back turned. "Can you PLEASE tell Ryu-sensei I went on ahead?" He gave his two group mates a pleading look.  
  
"Sure." Tamao said with a smile.   
  
"What's the matter?" Ren grinned slyly. "You don't want _him_ hanging all over you and making goo-goo _eyes_ at you again?" He wiggled his eyebrows and gestured suggestively at the self-confessed bisexual Home Economics teacher, who seemed to favor Lyserg among all his students, for some mysterious reason. "Is Jeanne getting JEALOUS?"  
  
Lyserg stole a glance at their teacher, then ducked near the oven instantly the minute the man turned around. He gave his friend a look. "Ren-kun, you're creeping me out." He shuddered.  
  
Tamao smiled sympathetically at her classmate. "Don't worry, I know how you feel. I can relate." Second to Lyserg, Tamao was another one of the Home Economics teacher's favorite students; either for her cooking prowess or for an altogether different reason, we'll never know.  
  
"ALRIGHT, CHILD~REN!" The weird-haired Kimono-clad Home Economics teacher, whose name was Umemiya Ryunosuke, but was commonly addressed as Ryu-sensei and Ryu by his students and colleagues, respectively, crooned loudly and clapped his hands cheerily. "Let's all take a GO~OD look at what all of you have baked. Can we start with your group, LYSERG-KU~N?" He started to walk across the room, an eager, besotted smile on his face.  
  
"EEEP!" Lyserg cringed, frantically trying his best to hide. He began to crawl towards the exit door. "I'm going! Ren-kun, Tamao...cover for me, onegai? I'll see you both tomorrow!" He said in a whisper.  
  
"Don't you worry about a thing. We'll see you!" Tamao gave a small, discreet wave.  
  
Ren smiled with amusement at his best friend's retreating form. "You owe me one!" He muttered so only Lyserg could hear.  
  
"Put it on my tab. Ja!" Faster than lightning, Lyserg sneaked off before the teacher even had a chance to see him.  
  
  
***  
  
  
_Rowrr._  
  
Ignoring the growling pain in her stomach, Jeanne continued studying the latest song piece in her hands, making sure to keep track of the sudden high notes and the rests. _Tell me her name I want to know...the way she looks and where you go...I need to see her face, I need to understand...why you and I came to an end..._ _  
  
I'll let you go, I'll let you fly...why do I keep on asking why...I'll let you go, now that I found...a way to keep somehow...  
  
More than a broken vow...   
_  
She glanced up at the clock. Five minutes more until the juniors' classes were over. She sighed. She didn't know how she was going to explain the whole thing to Lyserg. More importantly, she didn't know how she was going to explain it all to Professor Silverberg. _I can't practice with you anymore and I can't sing at the prom because my father has forbidden it.  
  
And my father has forbidden it because..._  
  
The ironic thing was, if it wasn't for the music professor's pleading and prodding, she never would have agreed to sing for the prom in the first place. Social events weren't her cup of tea, especially if it involved any dancing of some sort. Now, singing at church and in charity choirs--_that_ was another thing altogether. She was used to that. But school dances and mingling with other students, especially, older students, and more importantly, boys--she didn't know if she could handle that. Passing other students at the halls, and having other kids to study with instead of being alone with a private tutor--the way she had been for most of her life--even after almost a year, still...it didn't feel quite like routine to her.  
  
_And the prom...?_ Professor Silverberg had begged her with his life, which is why she had...very _reluctantly_ agreed. It was very hard to refuse the middle-aged, red-haired music teacher anything.  
  
And then, when she found out that she would be singing along to none other than Lyserg..._her_ Lyserg-niichan's piano-playing, the reluctance somehow dissipated. And after two weeks of listening to the tune of Lyserg's piano, vocalizing, memorizing music sheets, and non-stop singing, the idea of prom was becoming more and more appealing to her. Even though she would only be singing most of the time, _still_...she was going to be with Lyserg, and that alone was enough to make her feel like she was the luckiest fourteen-year-old in the whole universe. Not because he was one of the most eligible juniors at school, but simply because...he was _Lyserg_. The first boy she had ever met in her whole life and her first friend, ever since that fateful rainy evening...  
  
_RROWWRR!_ Jeanne stifled a sigh and gently swallowed. She was getting ravenously hungry. She knew she shouldn't have skipped lunch, but she just had to. Despite her Lyserg-niichan's warnings earlier today, she still managed to do what he had specifically told her _not _to do. It wasn't that she didn't want to eat--far from it--she just couldn't risk being embarrassed again in front of Lyserg and Professor Silverberg; so, she had to make sure she had all the pieces memorized by heart. She didn't want to end up tongue-tied and flustered in front of them again, like what happened yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before...  
  
_Hmm..._she frowned thoughtfully as she scanned through her portfolio for the second page of "Again." _It's not here. I must have left it in the classroom. I wonder if Professor Silverberg kept any spare copies..._she glanced around and spotted the file cabinet. She stood up and proceeded to the said structure, pushing a chair towards it along the way. Gingerly, she stepped up on top of the chair to reach the highest shelf where the professor kept all his music sheets. _They're probably somewhere up here...oops! Got them!_ Smiling softly to herself, she grabbed the thickest folder from the pile and scanned it quickly for the song she needed.  
  
Earlier this morning, someone had decided to play a trick again on the music room. The resident troublemaker of the school was obviously very much obsessed with targeting the instruments and everything else besides in the said room, and not once had he let a day pass that even one thing was completely free of his tricks...and today was no exception. Unbeknownst to Jeanne, the latest trick involved...loosening the hinges that held the music room chairs together, and somehow, the resident troublemaker managed to victimize about half of them before Professor Silverberg came in and threw him unceremoniously out of the room.  
  
Jeanne was currently standing on top of one of the tampered chairs, and it was now hovering on the brink of falling apart. The young girl hardly became aware of this, however...until it was too late.  
  
The next minute, Jeanne found herself on top of...something soft and warm, her arms clutching the thick folder of music sheets tightly against her chest.  
  
"Ouch," a soft male voice muttered behind her. "Are you alright?"  
  
"Lyserg-niichan," she managed in a whisper, her cheeks turning a bright shade of pink as she realized that he had just saved her from a very bad fall. She was currently on top of him. The soft and warm thing she had landed on was _his lap. _He had used his body as a shield to make sure that she didn't hit the hard, marble floor. She wondered how long he had been in the music room; she certainly didn't see him come in. "When did you get here?"  
  
"Hao," Lyserg cursed the name under his breath. "This is Hao's doing. That bastard..." He then shook his head, and turned to her with a bright smile. "I'm sorry...did you say something?"  
  
"When did you get here?" She repeated.  
  
He shrugged. "A couple of minutes ago," he answered matter-of-factly. "And just in time, too. A little more and goodness knows what might have happened to you." He patted her head gently.  
  
Jeanne could feel her blushes intensifying. It was pointless to hide it from him, though; he'd seen it happen often enough during the past two weeks. In fact, he'd seen it this morning, and more than that, he'd witnessed the worst of it during lunch time. "T...thank you..."  
  
"It's no problem. Come on," he helped her stand up. "...Professor, you can stop hiding now!" He called out to the door.  
  
From behind the door stepped out Professor Silverberg, a frown of disappointment on his face. "How did you know where I was?"  
  
Lyserg rolled his eyes. "Professor..." A note of warning laced his tone.  
  
"Alright, alright," Silverberg sighed, smiled at Jeanne, and sat down on top of his desk. "You two get started. I'll just be here."  
  
"You're watching us?" Lyserg asked indignantly. "_Again_?"  
  
"Yes, I am. Is there a problem? Anything you _might_ want to tell me, son?" There was a mischievous glint in his eyes.  
  
"Nothing. Forget I asked." Jeanne noted the exasperation in his voice. When he looked towards her again, her heart began to do flip-flops, and she didn't even know why. "Let's go, Jeanne. Have you studied the music sheets I gave you this morning?"  
  
"Uh-huh." She nodded vigorously, settling down the thick folder she was still clutching. She walked towards the front and tapped the sheets on top of the table. "I memorized them right before I..." She groaned inwardly as the growling in her stomach started again. She should have at least drank a cup of hot tea before she came here. "Anyway, shall we go?"  
  
Lyserg stared at her for a moment, and she wondered if he heard her stomach's growl. "Yeah," she sighed with relief at his reply.  
  
"...But first," he said again, grinning at her brilliantly as he dug inside his backpack, obviously searching for something. With a flourish, he produced a medium-sized paper bag, two cans of tea and a bottle of...milk? "Let's eat," he told her as he sat down on a non-tampered chair. "Come on," he patted the chair beside him. "This one's safe, I think. Hao only got to half the chairs at the back, didn't he, Professor?"  
  
"Quite right," Silverberg agreed, smiling with amusement at his two students. He eyed the brown paper bag Lyserg was holding curiously. "What's that?"  
  
"Well...it's for Jeanne, but you can have some too," Lyserg answered reluctantly. "Jeanne?"  
  
"I..." Jeanne glanced at her Professor, at the food, and then, at Lyserg.  
  
He gave her a pleading look. "Please? I know you're hungry," he added. Then, he tossed one of the cans of tea to his teacher. "You can have this, Professor."  
  
Jeanne inched her way nervously to the offered seat. As soon as she reached it, Lyserg handed her the bottle of milk. "This one's yours."  
  
She glanced at him with hesitation.  
  
"Don't worry. It's warm," he assured. "I had it warmed at the cafeteria. I know you can't take anything cold."  
  
"Thank you," she whispered.   
  
"...And this one's yours, too," he smiled brightly as he unwrapped the package inside the paper bag. It was a box of chocolate chip and cherry cookies. Her favorite kind. She glanced at him with surprise. "I had them baked earlier at Home Ec class. They're still your favorite, right?" He asked hopefully.  
  
She managed a small nod, unable to think of anything to say as she accepted the cookies with a murmur of thanks. _All these years, and he'd never forgotten._ Chocolate chip and cherry cookies, and warm milk, with the piano playing in the background, on that cold, stormy night, nine years ago. And a lost, very drenched five-year-old girl who, after running away from home because of an argument with her father, was found by a seven-year-old boy, the young master of the estate across the street where she had somehow gotten herself stranded in...  
  
Although her father had instantly located and taken her home the day after that, she would always remember that night, when she met Lyserg..._her_ Lyserg-niichan. Even if she was never allowed to see him ever again, the memory of him would stay with her, vibrant and alive, just like it had been on that stormy night.  
  
And no matter how much her father disapproved, she'd always find a way and somehow manage to--  
  
_Father.  
_  
Swallowing her second cookie, Jeanne cleared her throat, briefly recalling the important thing she needed to tell them. About her father. "Professor...Lyserg-niichan, there's...something I need to tell you..."  
  
Both teacher and student gazed at her expectantly. She felt the heat rising up to her cheeks again. "It's...my father...he just finished the deals he was arranging for the past two years in France, and now..." she swallowed. "He's home." She was looking at Lyserg as she said this.  
  
A look of trepidation passed over his face. Clearly, he knew what this meant. "And...?"  
  
She turned her head and looked at her teacher this time. His brows were furrowed with concern. "I...I told him that I was going to sing at the prom, and..."  
  
"Yes?" Silverberg prompted nervously.  
  
"He told me I could," Jeanne continued, and she could swear she heard him breathe a sigh of relief.  
  
"But...?" Lyserg piped up. "Jeanne, I know there's a _but_ coming in there somewhere."  
  
She nodded mournfully. "He asked me if there's a band or some sort of music accompanying my singing, and I told him that someone will be playing the piano," she explained softly. "And then he asked who it was, and..."  
  
"You told him it was me." Lyserg stated in a low, flat tone.  
  
"I had to. I can't lie to him, _you know_ I can't," she told him quietly. "At that time, he called Marco, and...well..." she sighed with resignation at the thought of her trusty guardian, chauffeur, and bodyguard. "He told Father that you and I have been practicing at your house every night after school for the last two weeks. Apparently, he's known about ever since we started. And that was when Father..." her voice trailed off. She didn't want to continue anymore. No matter how much she reasoned out with her father, he was adamant. Arguing with him was very much pointless, especially when it came to Liam Diethyl's son.   
  
"I don't understand..." Silverberg's face was overcome with confusion. "Lyserg? What's this all about?"  
  
"Sir Iron...Jeanne's father...he's hated my father for two decades," Lyserg answered softly. "They used to be the best of friends, until my mother came along, and..." his voice trailed off, and he shook his head wearily. "It's kind of a long story. But the issue here, sir, is--"  
  
"If Lyserg-niichan's playing the piano at the prom, Father says he won't allow me to sing," Jeanne told the professor. "If I refuse, he says he'll take me out of school and force me to study with private tutors again."  
  
"But...it'll be too late to replace Lyserg now," Silverberg said with dismay. "...Or _you_, for that matter. The prom's less than two weeks away. This _is_ quite a problem..." He stared thoughtfully at his two students. "The big question is, do either of you wish to stop?"  
  
"No." Jeanne and Lyserg said at the same time.  
  
The professor smiled with relief. "That's good. That's _very_ good. Then we can find a way through this, somehow," he frowned for a moment. "Jeanne, are you willing to go along with whatever I'm planning?"  
  
Jeanne nodded solemnly. "If it means I can sing at the prom, I'll do it, sir."  
  
"Lyserg?" Jeanne could swear that she saw Professor Silverberg winking.  
  
Lyserg gave him a warning look. "As long as it's nothing illegal, sir." He paused. "It's _not_ illegal, is it?"   
  
"Of course not," Silverberg said indignantly. "I was merely going to suggest that, instead of at Lyserg's house, you two can practice at my house." He paused thoughtfully. "And you can tell your father, Jeanne, that instead of Lyserg, Caesar's playing will accompany your singing."  
  
"But--"  
  
"It's half the truth," the professor said gently. "So you won't be lying. Trust me." He smiled. "Okay?"  
  
"O...okay." Jeanne said finally.  
  
"Lyserg?"  
  
Lyserg rolled his eyes to the ceiling and shrugged. "I guess it's fine."  
  
"Then it's settled, once again." A look of satisfaction--and relief--was reflected in Professor Silverberg's blue eyes. "Now, if you two are finished eating, I suggest you get that practice rolling. Jeanne, you can call your father later and tell him the changes." He paused. "You can practice for a while here, and then we can head for my home before it gets dark." He decided. "Are we agreed?"  
  
"Yes, sir." His two students answered.  
  
"Let's start," Lyserg announced, standing up and heading to the piano. "Jeanne?"  
  
"Yes, I'm coming," Jeanne said hurriedly, smiling with gratitude at her teacher. Then, she placed the remaining pack of chocolate chip and cherry cookies inside her purse before she headed to the stage to sing with her Lyserg-niichan.  
  
_I'm glad I'm not alone in this. Thanks, Professor.  
_  
_...And thank you for the cookies, Lyserg-niichan._  
  
  
  
TSUZUKU.  
  
  
  
_A/N_: Thanks to **Fluff Inc** for writing that little LXJ piece called **Chocolate Chip Cookies** and thus, giving me a lot of great ideas to use for this fic. Domo arigatou gozaimasu! Merci beaucoup! Salamat po!  
  
  
_Review Replies_: **Kira**, thanks a lot, and here's the update! **Trinity**, what will dear Pilica do? You'll find out!*wink* I feel for Jeanne, what happened to her happens to me a lot.^^;;; And don'tcha worry, Horo's not gonna run away from Tamao...not in a million years.^^ **keiko**, thanks a lot. **Saikoro**, no she doesn't, as you probably have seen from this chapter.^^ Thanks. **anoyedshehighsupremeautho**, thanks. I'm *really* glad I don't have Foxbox. I saw the whole series in Japanese, English subtitled.^^ **KristiexxNguyen**, I totally agree. Here's the update! **Itako No Anna Asakura**, I'm sure you wouldn't have minded if it was _Ren_, though, would you?*wink* I wouldn't. He can do whatever he wants with me and I won't even complain.^_^ **Eikou**, not disastrous. This is actually going exactly as I planned.*wink* **Dragon Pearl1**, want the picture? Give me your email and I'll send it to you.^^ **itako no shaman**, why would I be mad?^^ Thanks. We're all cool, aren't we?*grin* **Lafine**, weelll, I'll see if Pilica can take your suggestion...*wince* Needles under the nails? Sounds painful... **Fluff Inc**, glad you liked it! Oh, and again, thanks for the Chocolate Chip Cookies bit.^^ **gatita**, yep, Caesar will be here. I think I remembered mentioning him somewhere in Act I. Oh, and may I ask...have you got an ff.net account? I just wondered. **C1aZnBoi125**, here's the update, and thank you very much. **Mendori-chan**, don'tcha worry, things *will* get fixed...soon.*wink* **Miko-chan**, thanks for that lovely long review...you know how much it means to me!*hugs* **Fe-chan**, here's the update!


	12. Act II, Scene 5: The Perfect Bridal Cand...

**Promenade  
by Apple-chan  
**  
Disclaimer: I'm sure you all know what this means.  
  
Summary: Four couples, one perfect night...or is it? A 5-act tale on how four young men and four young women fall in love at the night of their Junior-Senior Prom. YXA, RXP, LXJ, and HXT.  
  
Warnings: AU, PG-13, and the appearance of Hao.^_^  
  
  
  
**ACT II: Ready.  
**  
  
_SCENE 5: The Perfect Bridal Candidate_.  
  
  
Tao Ran was impatient.  
  
The beautiful, navy-haired, middle-aged Mistress of the Tao Clan, Wife of the Tao Clan Head, and mother of the honest-to-goodness sole heir to the family fortune, none other than the famous Aikido Master, sixteen-year-old Tao Ren--was reclining gracefully on the luxurious loveseat at the center of the grand spacious living room of the magnificent Tao Estate--and tapping her foot impatiently. Very, _very_ impatiently.  
  
She gave a small sigh.  
  
Hours ago, she had instructed Bason--family butler, driver, and bodyguard extraordinaire--to pick up both her son and daughter from the high school. She had also specifically instructed the two-time World Martial Arts Champion to inform her one and only son to _invite_ Pilica-chan once again to the Estate. Although the main reason she had made this request was so that Pilica could be fitted into her prom gown (which was already eighty percent finished), the truth was, Ran adored her beautiful pseudo-niece to the ends of the earth, and she really wanted to see the young girl.  
  
Pilica was the rare, bright note in the Tao Estate's otherwise dismally serious, sometimes monotonous and frequently dreary atmosphere. She was like a ray of warm sunshine that illuminated all the dark, morose places, and frankly, in Ran's opinion, their home could certainly use plenty of that.  
  
Not to mention the fact that the only time she had ever seen her son smile--as in _really_ smile--and laugh an honest-to-goodness genuine laugh, was during those rare times when Pilica was around. Ren was always pretty much serious for the most part, and Ran knew that she had no one and nothing to blame for that. Fact is, the Tao men (her husband included) had always been known to be a bunch of cynics--too serious for their own good, too critical for their own peace of mind, and...too _arrogant_ for their own safety. Ren was no exception to this rule; however, Ran was extremely thankful that at least, her son manages to...smile even a half-smile, albeit rarely. She was also extremely grateful that, over the years, his seriousness and cynicism had gradually softened.  
  
She probably had the next-door neighbors to thank for that. Although he was rarely around in the country, Liam Diethyl was a good, honest, polite, and extremely kind man--and his one and only son with his late wife (God bless her pure and beautiful soul) was all that he is and more, if that was even possible.  
  
The Tao family moved to the neighborhood around one year after Lyserg's mother died, and although the two boys--Lyserg and Ren, that is--didn't really start out as good friends (mainly because Ren was a brat and Lyserg seemed like a wimp to him), it was during that time when the transition in Ren's persona began. Although Ran knew that there was no way Ren would EVER become as well-mannered, as kind, and as sweet as his best friend, she was at least thankful for the slight...softening influence, for lack of a better term--that Lyserg had for her son. She really couldn't have chosen a better best friend for him. Of course, Horo-horo, Pilica's older brother, _would_ have been a good candidate, but...he and Ren were much too far along in their personal rivalry for the azure-haired boy to actually qualify for that part. She'd rather it be Lyserg--if only for the sake of everyone's peace and sanity.  
  
Anyway, that aside, one other thing she was really itching to do for the sake of her son was: find him the perfect bride for the future. She clasped her hands together and smiled to herself as she thought about that project. _Operation Perfect Bridal Candidate. Co-conspirators: Tao Ran and Tao Jun, mother-daughter tandem extraordinaire. Groom in question: Tao Ren, son and brother of the co-conspirators._   
  
As her dear father-in-law would always say, it never hurts to look ahead, plan ahead, and do ahead. Rainy days, and more importantly--storms--come in the most unpredictable and unlikeliest of times, and planning for the future was way, way, _way_ better and much more practical than just merely keeping the pantry well-stocked, and the bank account reasonably sufficient. Financial and physical assurance were all well and good, but they weren't enough to sustain a person; particularly, mentally, emotionally, and other things non-physical.  
  
The kind of assurance for the future that she wanted for both her son and daughter was all-encompassing, designed (or _will be_ as it was) to make sure they never lacked anything, whatever the need happens to be.   
  
Finding her son the perfect bride--even if he was _only_ sixteen--was central to these plans. As of current, she and Jun haven't just yet found anyone REALLY perfect--not for the lack of trying, nor for the lack of potential brides. The main problem, in all truth and honesty, was actually Ren. Aside from being unwilling (truth be told, neither she nor Jun have spoken to him about this yet), there was NO girl in the potentials list who, as she and her daughter have gauged, would be able to handle someone as haughtily arrogant and perfectly obnoxious as her son. Despite the changes he had made in himself over the years, there was a lot in his nature that would probably always remain the same, no matter how much influence Lyserg had upon him.  
  
He wasn't merely a tough case to crack. He was...how do you put it...somewhat of an emotionless rock if _and_ when he wanted to be--and he could be quite hellishly stubborn. To date, there was actually only one girl in their list (the one and the only name on the "seeded potentials" list) who could possibly...POSSIBLY and potentially crack Ren's rock-solid exterior. A certain girl whom the whole family had known for quite a long time, and one whom Ran had been gauging and analyzing for quite some time. A girl who was actually number one on her favorites list...and on Jun's too, for that matter.  
  
A certain girl named...  
  
Ran glanced at the clock and let out an extremely impatient sigh. _Just how long do they intend to make me wait?_ She had dispatched Bason around two hours ago. They should have arrived by now. She wondered what was taking so long. Their family seamstress, who was in her private receiving room, was probably going crazy with worry already.   
  
Somewhere in Ran's mind, she somehow sensed _what_ it was that was taking them so long. She could probably guess, but--  
  
"Ouch, ouch, OUCH! Let GO of ME, you MEANIE!" A familiar, high-pitched voice sounded from the front door. After a couple seconds, Ran stood up as the door burst open and in stumbled her azure-haired pseudo-niece, Pilica, with her arms bound behind her, and an expression of incredible fury on her beautiful face. "...You're HURTING my ARM, darn it!"  
  
A laugh sounded from behind her, and Ran watched as her son entered the front foyer with a flourish. One of his hands were behind Pilica, while the other was resting against the door frame. "You know, if you'd only agreed to come with me _peacefully_, I wouldn't be doing this--"  
  
"PEACEFULLY?!?" Pilica shouted into his face. "You DRAGGED me out of the LOCKER room, Ren-niichan! You call that PEACEFUL?" She forcefully pulled off her arm.  
  
Tightening his hold on her, Ren shrugged. "...Yeah," he answered matter-of-factly.  
  
A loud, exasperated sigh sounded from the door. Afterwards, the tall, graceful figure of Tao Jun, Ren's beautiful older sister, stepped inside the house. Flashing her brother a look, she rolled her eyes to the ceiling and shook her head. Then, she stepped back to move away from the warfare. "Hahaue," she greeted with a sigh of relief.  
  
"Jun," Ran greeted back, patting her daughter's arm. "...What took you so long?"  
  
Jun rolled her eyes again and shrugged. "Those two wouldn't stop fighting," she answered dryly.  
  
"Ran-sama," Bason stepped inside the house, rushed towards Ran's side and bowed respectfully. "I apologize for our tardiness. It was all my fault--"  
  
"Iie, it isn't, Bason," Ran told the butler brightly, with a reassuring nod.   
  
"That's right," Jun agreed. "It's REN'S fault." She inclined her head towards the war zone, a.k.a. Ren and Pilica at the front foyer.  
  
Bason glanced at the two, and then, he scratched his head and smiled sheepishly at Ran and Jun. "...Gomen ne. I couldn't stop them."  
  
"I don't think ANYBODY can," Ran said dryly, still watching his son and his favorite pseudo-niece with amusement. Currently, the two were still playing tug-of-war as Ren pulled on Pilica's hands, and she, in turn, tried very hard to pull away from him. And yes, they were also having a mini-shouting match.  
  
"This is getting pointless," Jun said with a resigned sigh.  
  
"Hai, it is," Ran agreed. "...But you have to admit..." she gave her daughter a meaningful look.  
  
"...They look good together. I know," Jun supplied with a weary shake of her head. "But this is never going to work if Ren doesn't--"  
  
"LET GO OF ME THIS INSTANT YOU MEANIEAARRGHH!" Pilica shrieked in a voice loud enough to break all the glass in the household as she slipped and fell...on top of Ren. Apparently, as she struggled against the navy-haired boy's hold, she had managed to walk straight into a couple of plants...and tripped over them. And managed to land directly on top of him, for some reason.  
  
Upon instinct, the moment he realized that she was about to walk into the said plants, Ren had grabbed her and turned her around so she wouldn't hit the hard, marble floor. He had ended up hitting the said floor instead.  
  
Currently, Pilica was still on top of Ren. He was still on the floor. The two of them had frozen in time, and were staring at each other in horror (Pilica) and disbelief (Ren).  
  
It was Ren who recovered first. Coughing, he managed to flash her his most charming and arrogant grin. "Hmph. I knew you would fall for me one of these days. It was only a matter of time."  
  
At that comment, Pilica's face flamed, and she gave him a furious look. "How DARE you--" She gave a startled gasp as he rose up, leaned over...and kissed her on the cheek.  
  
Silence.   
  
The young girl's face flamed even more. Ren gave her a triumphant look as he stood up, pulling her with him in the process. Almost mechanically, she allowed him to pull her up.  
  
"Hm." With a final, arrogant smirk, Ren winked at her. And then, he turned around and strutted out of the room, ignoring his mother, his sister, and Bason all the way.  
  
Pilica stared at him in aghast and confusion. Her hand crept up to her cheek, to that part where he had kissed her.  
  
He had _kissed_ her.  
  
_He kissed me!  
_  
"YOU...YOU..." Her voice was loud, and shrill. "You...KISSED me!" Her face held a very incredulous look. She stayed like that, blushing and looking over where Ren disappeared to, with her hand on her cheek, for the next couple of minutes.  
  
Meanwhile, Ran, Jun, and Bason, who had witnessed the entire exchange, glanced back and forth between Ren's retreating back and Pilica's frozen figure.  
  
Bason gave a resigned sigh. "Bocchama is too..._bold_ to do such a thing."  
  
"He is," Jun agreed, frowning at her brother. "...Hahaue, will _this_ really work?"  
  
Ran smiled reassuringly. "I think it will," she declared. "It _definitely_ will."  
  
  
***  
  
  
"Ran-obasan, Jun-neesan, are you sure about this?" Pilica asked tentatively, as she looked back and forth amongst Ran, Jun, and the seamstress repeatedly, all the while holding her semi-finished gown in front of her.  
  
"Of COURSE we are," Ran declared, turning her around, and then gesturing to the seamstress meaningfully. "Take the gown, Fei. We're going to take off her uniform."  
  
"W...WHAT?!?" Pilica started blushing as she stared in shock at the three women, unable to move as they stripped her clothing off of her. "Ran-obasan...Jun-neesan...!"  
  
"Just RELAX, Pilica-chan," Jun said with a reassuring smile as she tugged down the girl's skirt. "We're all _women_ here, aren't we? And we need to do this so we can be assured of the gown's fit...isn't that right, Fei?"  
  
"Hai, Jun-sama," the raven-haired, middle-aged personal seamstress of the Taos agreed with a smile at the young girl.  
  
"Besides," Ran put in cheerfully as she tossed Pilica's blouse and upper garments aside, "...it's not like we're going to let my SON in here while you're in the NUDE," she added with a playful wink.  
  
At this, Pilica started blushing as if there was no tomorrow...out of embarrassment, frustration at Ren...or some strange _thrill_ brought about by that measly little _kiss_, she wasn't so sure...  
  
"Alright," Ran clasped her hands together, looking over her pseudo-niece's form with approval. "Let's do it." She flashed Fei a look.  
  
"Hai, Ran-sama." Fei spread out the gown again with a flourish.  
  
"Jun...please do me a favor and...go see what your brother's doing, onegai?"  
  
"Hai, Hahaue," Jun said with a brief nod. With a final, friendly smile at Pilica, she opened the door just enough to squeeze herself out. "I'll be back in a jif--" her voice stopped abruptly. She slammed the door shut.  
  
Silence.  
  
Three minutes.  
  
The clock ticked. Four minutes.  
  
Pilica flashed Ran a questioning look.   
  
The middle-aged woman shrugged at her pseudo-niece and continued with what she was doing. "Don't worry about anything. Jun can handle him," she whispered, clearly indicating her son.  
  
Pilica nodded, but she couldn't resist listening in to what was happening outside. She could hear the faint sounds of...someone crunching. And a foot tapping. Impatiently.  
  
"Ren." Jun's tone was quiet, and betrayed no emotion as she...probably confronted her brother in whatever the hell state he happened to be in. For some reason, she sounded quite surprised, too...  
  
"Neesan." Ren's tone, on the other hand, sounded highly amused, dry, and of course...VERY arrogant. Pilica sighed with irritation as the seamstress fitted the gown on her, with Ran observing and giving instructions all the while. The azure-haired girl resumed listening to the noises of the siblings outside.  
  
"What in the WORLD are you wearing?!?" There was a note of incredible horrification in the elder Tao sibling's voice.  
  
"What does it _look_ like? Boxers," came Ren's blunt and extremely dry reply. "You know..._shorts_. Underwear."  
  
Jun sighed loudly with frustration. "Can't you put on something _more_ decent?"  
  
"What, my boxers aren't decent enough for you?" From the background, she could hear Ren crunching something--an apple, she guessed.  
  
"We have a guest, you know. We have Pilica-chan here, in case you _forgot_!"  
  
A snort. "How can I forget? I brought her here, didn't I? Kicking _and_ screaming, I might add," he said with a note of amusement that almost made Pilica shout with indignation.  
  
This time, she heard Jun's sigh of resignation. "For ONCE, Ren, can't you even be a gentleman? Pilica-chan is a _young lady_. She deserves some _respect_!"  
  
"I'll give respect where respect is due," Ren said haughtily. Pilica wanted to wipe the smug smile she was sure was gracing his face right at that moment. "...Unfortunately, she hasn't earned it just yet. And she probably never will." Now she wanted to kill him.  
  
"You know, you're EXACTLY the kind of GUY women love to hate." Jun shot back.  
  
"And what kind is THAT, pray tell?"  
  
"A TOTAL jerk!" Jun echoed Pilica's thoughts exactly, and she couldn't help but hide a grin at this comment. Near her, she heard Ran's soft chuckle of amusement.  
  
"...I'll take that as a compliment!" Ren threw back triumphantly. Darn it all to hell, but the guy really was insufferable. So full of himself. So arrogant.  
  
_...So attractive._ Pilica winced. _That comment is so uncalled for_, she told herself silently.   
  
"Now I UNDERSTAND perfectly why you've never had a girlfriend in your whole life--"  
  
"I don't NEED a girlfriend! I'm perfectly satisfied being a single eligible bachelor, thank you very much!"  
  
"--I mean, for all I KNOW," Jun ignored her brother and resumed her discourse, "Pilica-chan's probably the only girl in the whole world who can even stand to be with you, and you don't even RESPECT her!" She stated pointedly, making Pilica almost sing with gratitude...at least, until... "How will you ever get _ married_?"  
  
"Who says I _wanna_ get married?!?" Ren's voice held a note of incredulity. A _lot_ of incredulity.  
  
"Well it's bound to happen sometime, and you know WHAT?" Jun's last statement ended in a shout.  
  
Ren sighed with irritation. "No, I DON'T, and I DON'T CARE," he answered dryly. "...But you're going to tell me anyway whether I want to hear it or not, so what's the _point_?"  
  
"So FAR," Jun continued, her voice laced with practically an overdose of exasperation, "Hahaue and I haven't FOUND anyone perfect for you at ALL. That is, except for--"  
  
"_Pilica-chan_." Pilica's heart stopped upon this declaration, and from _ Ran_, no less. She wondered how in the world Ren's mother (as well as the seamstress) had managed to leave her in the room without her knowing...she shook her head in defeat. She was probably too busy listening to the conversation. She didn't even realize that she was already fully dressed in the gown. Slowly, she stepped towards the full-length mirror...and looked.  
  
_Hmm,_ she smiled her most charming smile at her reflection. _Not too bad, considering the fact that I'm feeling very annoyed as of the moment._ She rolled her eyes to the ceiling and shrugged. _Better get used to it, Pilica-chan. You're probably going to be annoyed for the most part during prom night, considering that your DATE happens to be the King of Arrogance.  
_  
She sighed with resignation. _This is what I get for being an obedient daughter and younger sister. Just what in the world were my brother and my parents _thinking_ when they decided that my best option for a prom date would be _Tao Ren_? Never mind everything we owe their family, but _why_ him? That's the one hundred million dollar question._  
  
"WHAT THE HELL?!?" Ren's extremely loud shout of indignation broke through her thoughts. "Hahaue, do you realize what you're saying? I'm SIXTEEN. She's FIFTEEN! What the HELL are you and Neesan doing thinking about THAT _this_ EARLY? Just what do you think I AM?" Never mind that she couldn't see it, she could practically feel the redness gracing his entire face--from fury, embarrassment or both--she wasn't certain. For her part, though, the redness on her face was caused _entirely_ by indignation, and nothing more. Nothing more.  
  
_...Right. keep telling yourself that, Pilica-chan.  
_  
"The heir to the Tao Business Empire, if your father has anything to say about it," Ran's somewhat amused voice answered Ren's question.  
  
"What the HELL does BUSINESS have to do with MARRIAGE?" Ren wanted to know. "I can handle the company no problem without a WOMAN beside me! I KNOW I can--"  
  
"I assure you, marriage has everything to do with it." His mother answered matter-of-factly. "...You can even ask your father."  
  
"--do it without a hitch, and without help, and besides..." Ren's voice broke off abruptly. "W...WHAT?!? You've gotta be kidding me."  
  
Ran sighed with exasperation. "I'm not--"  
  
"Hahaue...Ran-obasan?" Pilica corrected herself hastily, her face flaming full force and gradually intensifying as she peeked through the doorway at the three Tao's. Out of the corner of her eye, she tried very hard to ignore Ren, who was leaning against the door frame, very handsome, very sweaty, and looking extremely pissed--yet extremely comfortable, clad in only his boxers and nothing else. _Nothing else._ She wasn't having much success. "J...Jun-neesan, I...I'm--"  
  
"PILICA-CHAN!" Jun interrupted as she stood up, flashing her mother a meaningful look and subsequently pushing Pilica back inside the room. "Let's see if your gown fits well. As for you," she called out to Ren in a warning tone. "...Stay HERE and behave yourself."  
  
"Are you telling me I'm NOT allowed to see her? I'm her DATE, dammit--"  
  
"Exactly," Ran told her son firmly as she herself entered the room. "You will see her during Prom night, and _not_ before."  
  
"Then what the HELL am I here FOR? I could be training right now instead of wasting my precious TIME waiting for you! What do you think I am, A SENTRY?!?"  
  
"...If you put it that way, then YES!" Jun called out to her brother. Then, she smiled at Pilica, admiring the way her best student looked in the gown. "You're going to make all the guys fall on their knees, I swear."  
  
"...Not to mention _Ren_," Ran whispered, winking at Pilica's reflection, causing the latter to blush like there was no tomorrow. "You know, once you get around to him, he's actually a pretty nice guy," she inclined her head at the door, clearly indicating Ren. "I'm sure you two will be fine come Prom night, ne?' She grinned at Jun.  
  
"If Ren _behaves_ himself, Hahaue," Jun pointed out. "And he'd better behave himself, otherwise..." she shook her head, then gave Pilica a reassuring look. "Just in case he starts being mean to you, remember, I'm one of the chaperones. You can tell me, and I'll straighten him out, no problem, ne?"  
  
"H...hai," Pilica nodded, smiling gratefully at the two women. Really, sometimes she found it hard to believe that Ran and Jun were Ren's mother and sister, respectively. They were sweet, nice, and incredibly kind, _unlike_ him--  
  
"Well...FINE!" Ren's very pissed voice sounded from behind the door. Very loudly. "I'll just stand here for LONG HOURS and wait PATIENTLY until you're THROUGH talking girl TALK with that GIRL!" He emphasized the last word in a mocking tone.  
  
"I have a NAME, you know!" Pilica shouted out indignantly.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Don't you think I _know_ that? Keep your shirt on. And HURRY UP!" He paused. "I'm growing mold here."  
  
"...Serves you right!" Pilica sniffed. "Meanie."  
  
"Thank you." Ren shot back, triumph in his voice. She wanted to kick him.  
  
"You know what, Ren-niichan? I hope you _never_ have a girlfriend! Nobody would ever want you, you selfish, arrogant, obnoxious--"  
  
"--handsome and charming _bastard_?"  
  
"UGLY bastard!" Pilica shouted furiously, perfectly aware of the protest her whole being was making as she uttered the words. _UGLY...him?_ For some reason, the mental picture of him earlier flashed across her mind's eye. _ Nope, FAR from it._  
  
_Too handsome for his own good, actually...  
_  
_Exactly what every teenage girl's fantasy is made of, in fact...  
_  
"You know what, Ren-niichan?"  
  
"Yes, Pilica-chan?" The tone of his voice was mocking...but it was laced with sultriness as well. Sultriness that only _she_ noticed.  
  
Sultriness that made her heartbeat quicken. Sultriness that was quite obviously directed at _her_. She fought the urge to moan out loud. _Remind me to kill myself the next time this happens._ "I wouldn't be your girlfriend even if you were the last guy on EARTH!"  
  
"Hm." Ren snorted arrogantly. "I'll take your word for it...IF you can RESIST me, that is. Because I'm pretty sure _you_ won't be able to." He added triumphantly. "...Take for example: just a little while ago, I do believe you totally ENJOYED the little KISS that I gave you..."  
  
"OOOH!" Pilica looked up at the ceiling and prayed for patience. And self-control. She wasn't sure if she wanted to smack him on the head, punch him on the stomach, stomp on his foot, or bite his neck. Or his arm. Or his shoulder.  
  
Or his...lips. His mouth. She rubbed her face and shook her head vigorously. _ Note to self: erase that stupid picture of him clad in his boxers and _only_ his boxers from your mind. Completely. Right now._  
  
...No such luck. _Aargh! This is all his fault! Parading around in only _ that_ little number...what in the name of heaven is he THINKING?  
_  
She wanted to hurl herself against the wall and tear her hair out. _Tao Ren is continuously doing very serious damage to my mind and there's nothing I can do about it...  
_  
_If I live through this, I swear to God, I'll be dedicating my whole life to serving the less fortunate. As a missionary. Or a nun. Either way works, as long as I'm _never_ allowed to marry. Perfect bridal candidate or no, there's absolutely _no_ way I'm ever marrying Tao Ren. No. Way.  
_  
"Well?"  
  
"No matter how perfect I may be for you, Ren-niichan, mark my words: _Never_ in a million years will I EVER want to marry you. So there."  
  
An amused laugh. "...If you say so."  
  
  
***  
  
Biting on her second peanut butter cookie, Pilica tapped her foot impatiently against the fancy chair in the dining room. "WHERE in the WORLD is he?' She muttered under her breath as she chewed. Resting her chin against her hands, she gazed around listlessly, trying to count down the seconds and minutes until His Royal Highness Tao Ren, King of Arrogance, finally arrives to take her home and--  
  
"Hahaue, have you seen my sneakers?" Her breath caught ever-so-slightly as out of the corner of her eye, she got a glimpse of him as he entered the dining hall.  
  
Thankfully enough, he was no longer wearing just his boxers. Instead, he was now donned in a pair of dark blue pants and a button-down white shirt that he was currently...buttoning up. Very, _very_ slowly...  
  
His hair was also slightly damp, the obvious implication being that he had just taken a bath...which explains the current scent that was wafting through her nostrils. Some kind of scented soap, some kind of cologne, some kind of aftershave--whatever it was, it smelled quite...nice...  
  
Before Pilica became dizzy from inhaling him, Ran came out of the kitchen, holding a tray of a fresh batch of peanut butter cookies. One of her eyebrows were raised as she gazed at her son. "Did you look in your room?"  
  
Ren shrugged airily. "It's not there." He suddenly glanced at Pilica as if he had just noticed that she was there. She was still staring at him. "What?"  
  
Finally snapping back into focus, Pilica rolled her eyes, shook her head and turned away. "Meanie," she muttered, taking another bite of her cookie and subsequently sipping on her glass of milk.   
  
Ran placed the tray of cookies on top of the dining table, smiled at Pilica and flashed her son a look. "What about the front foyer?"  
  
He shrugged again. "Maybe." He glanced back and forth in between the azure-haired girl, and the cookie on her hand. A slow grin was starting to form on his face.  
  
Pilica tried very hard to ignore his presence behind her. Somehow, she could sense that he was looking at her...but for what reason, she didn't know. She took another long, long sip from her glass.   
  
...Suddenly, he leaned against the table, gave her a big smile...and promptly took a big bite from her cookie.  
  
"--HEY!"  
  
"Hmm," he said thoughtfully, grinning at her triumphantly. "...Hahaue, that's very good." He continued to smile at her, chewing all the while.  
  
Pilica blushed in spite of herself. "WHY...YOU...YOU...YOU MEA--UMMPH!" She choked as he shoved a fresh cookie into her mouth. She gave him a murderous glare and raised her hand up...  
  
...He caught it deftly, and subsequently pulled her up from the chair. "Come on, I'm taking you home," patting her hand, he gently led her out. "I'll be back in a few hours, Hahaue!" He called out as, dragging Pilica gently by the arm, he retreated towards the front foyer.  
  
Pilica had no choice but to follow suit; as it is, she was still a little bit disoriented. _Too many things happening at once...I can't handle this..._ She flashed an apologetic look at Ran and waved goodbye hastily. She would have said something, but a cookie was currently hindering her to do any talking.  
  
_...Well, he certainly knows how to shut me up,_ she thought wryly. _I think I'll give you a point for that, Ren-niichan._  
  
"Hahaue, was that Ren?" Jun stepped out of the kitchen and peered at the hallway.  
  
"Hai," Ran answered, gazing at the pair's retreating form with a fond smile on her face.  
  
"What are you thinking of?" Jun leaned her elbows against the dining table and gazed at her mother.  
  
Ran glanced at her daughter and grinned. "What did I tell you? She's definitely perfect."   
  
"Perfect? For what?" Jun wondered aloud. "...As a bridal candidate?"   
  
"Iie." Ran shook her head, then smiled, a playful twinkle in her eyes. "...Perfect for your brother. Absolutely perfect."  
  
  
  
TSUZUKU.  
  
  
  
_A/N_: Sorry this is a little later than usual. Okay, okay, a LOT later than usual. Got a little too busy with my two RPs.^^;;; One is for Suikoden III, and the other is for SK...I'm playing Hao.^^ If anyone wants to see Hao's LJ, the link is up on my profile, or you could copy and paste this on your browser (just remove the spaces):  
  
h t t p : / / w w w . l i v e j o u r n a l . c o m / u s e r s / l u n a t i c _ f i r e b o y /  
  
  
_Review Replies_: **FORFIRITH-on-a-sugar-high**, here ya go.^^ ** Lafine**, it's got to do with the parents. The situation is a little more complicated, actually. And don't worry.*laughs* Pilica will never do the needle thing on Ren, I assure you. **keiko**, not psychic, just resourceful.^^ ** Itako No Anna Asakura**, yeah, I thought so.^^ **grandsummon**, glad you think so. Here's the update! **Trinity**, that's what happens when you fall in love, you become unreasonable. No yaoi pairings here, don'tcha worry. ** Saikoro**, aww, thank you!=) **Dragon Pearl1**, I hope you got the picture. So sorry I just sent it now...got a little sidetracked.^^;;; **Keitorin Asthore**, cabana boy Yoh, lol. Here's the update! **Eikou**, he'll be in the next one, don't worry. got oranges, I think there -are- Ryu fans, as few as they are, so...*shrug* **syaoranz gurl**, thanks. **Sheo**, that's okay.=) I'm glad you liked the last two chapters! And thank you.^^ **anoyedshehighsupremeautho**, Jeanne does not have an eating disorder...she's just worried about getting embarrassed in front of Lyserg and Silverberg. **KristiexxNguyen**, here ya go! Thanks. **Miko-chan**, ganyan talaga silang lahat na lalaki, mga denial king.=) Sir Iron has got a lot of...issues, actually. We'll see what happens. ** Kira**, amen to that.^^ **Fluff Inc**, well, it was a great, great fic. And sure, you can call me that.=) Thanks! **Mendori-chan**, hope this was somehow worth the wait! Oh, and thanks for adding me to your friendster and for the testimonial, I appreciate it.:) **KageNoTenshi**, love your latest fic! And thanks a lot for the reviews (all seven of 'em). And we love Hao-sama, all of us.=) **Fe-chan**, you're welcome, you're welcome.^^ **gatita**, I think I did, yeah. Anyhow, glad you liked this. Thanks! **Nezumi**, Hao has nothing to complain about...as he and Yoh will be appearing next, once again.=) **chibi**, the better question is, -if- he ever finds out. Professor Silverberg is quite smart and resourceful.^_~ **flitter bug**, don't worry about it. Oh, and thank you.=) **Takari-san**, you can review longer next time...^^ **Shaina** (sabi ng Ate mo kamukha mo raw), salamat sa pagrereview! Next time, maggawa ka na ng account mo, ha?^^ Sana nagustuhan mo itong chapter na ito...para sa yo to. Sorry medyo late.*sweatdrop* Kasalanan nga nung RP...alam ng Ate mo yon...si Jeanne, ganun talaga...tandaan natin na iba ang paglaki nya dito sa paglaki nya sa SK world, so...yon. Salamat ulit! Mahal ko kayo ng Ate mo!^_^ **fue-chan**, I like the pairing too, though it isn't necessarily my favorite (I'm in LXJ mode these days...). **DayDrEaMiNg-child**, no, I am -not- stopping...as you can see.^^


	13. Act II, Scene 6: Double, Double, Toil an...

**Promenade  
by Apple-chan  
**  
Disclaimer: I'm sure you all know what this means.  
  
Summary: Four couples, one perfect night...or is it? A 5-act tale on how four young men and four young women fall in love at the night of their Junior-Senior Prom. YXA, RXP, LXJ, and HXT.  
  
Warnings: AU, PG-13, and the appearance of Hao.  
  
Belated Happy 19th Birthday to Yoh and Hao (Yoh and Hao at 19...ahh, what a nice picture that makes...:P)!!!  
  
**ACT II: Ready.  
**  
  
_SCENE 6: Double, Double, Toil and Trouble._  
  
"Oniichan, how sure are you about this?" Yoh called out loudly as he adjusted his position behind his brother on the dark red motorcycle.  
  
"Absolutely positively sure," Hao declared cheerfully as he decelerated slightly. They were a few minutes away from the main commercial area of Funbari. School ended about several hours ago, and right after Kendo training, instead of engaging in his usual activity (i.e. bullying and terrorizing other students), the elder Asakura twin decided to invite his brother for a little trip to the tailor shop.  
  
Although he was a bit surprised, Yoh agreed to the whole thing, even if he wasn't exactly sure what they were going to do. Sure, he had his suspicions...but then again, this is the famous _clueless Yoh_ in question here.  
  
"Do you really think it'd be alright if we do this? I mean, shouldn't we at _least_ drop by the dojo first before--"  
  
"Yoh," Hao interrupted as he pulled his dark red motorcycle to a halt on a nearby alley and subsequently turned to his brother. "...Just trust me," he said with a look. "Okay?"  
  
"Tousan will kill us if he finds out," Yoh replied worriedly. "...Amidamaru knows that Kendo training ended hours ago, and no matter how nice he is, he's bound to tell Tousan everything. We're supposed to help train the new students at our dojo--"  
  
"Don't _worry_ about it," Hao assured with a smile. He and his twin stepped off the motorcycle. "The old man's not gonna know anything. Anyway, we'll only be about...twenty minutes late." The two of them started walking.  
  
"Still--"  
  
"Yoh." Hao raised his hand up to silence him. "_Stop_ worrying. Everything will be _fine_." Then, he gave his brother a concerned look. "Something's wrong with this picture." He frowned, appraising his twin thoughtfully.  
  
"Eh?" Yoh looked at him blankly.  
  
Hao exhaled. "I mean, it's not like you to worry," he explained. "It's surprising, that's all. What's wrong?"  
  
Yoh smiled sheepishly. "If Amidamaru tells Tousan, he'll tell Jiichan and Baachan about this," he paused, hesitantly. "...and once _they_ find out, they'll tell Anna, and she'll--"  
  
"--hang you upside-down and beat you till you're all black and blue?" Hao supplied with a wink.  
  
Yoh shook his head and sighed wearily. "Worse. She might kill me."  
  
"Ah." His twin nodded with understanding. Then, Hao grinned. "...But since this is your dearest most beloved _Anna_, you really wouldn't mind much, would you?"  
  
Yoh blushed profusely. "N..no. I mean yes. I mean...well..." he paused, somewhat at a loss for words. "...I...don't really wanna die just yet..."  
  
A dry laugh. "Let me guess: you want to bask in her LOVE for a LOT longer...don't you?"  
  
"Oniichan!" Yoh blushed even more, if that was possible. He started walking faster, practically leaving his brother behind.  
  
Hao rolled his eyes to the ceiling, catching up with Yoh and smacking him forcefully at the back. "You are SO hopeless, Otouto."  
  
"Don't remind me," Yoh muttered sadly, coughing slightly at that forceful blow. He wondered if Anna took lessons from Hao on hitting people...or vice versa...he shook his head. No sense thinking about that. He continued walking.   
  
After a few minutes, the two of them reached the front of the Asakura School of Kendo. The twins ducked and fought to keep themselves hidden from Mikihisa, their father, and his assistant and former student, Amidamaru, who also happened to be the reigning World Kendo champion. Both men were currently standing and speaking to a dozen elementary school boys--all of which were visible because of the transparent glass windows.  
  
"...Well, that was easy, wasn't it?" Hao said cheerfully as soon as they had crossed the family establishment. The two straightened out and began to walk normally again. "...Yoh?" He asked, upon noticing his twin looking over the distance they just passed.  
  
He was frowning. "Are you sure it's alright to leave your motorcycle at that corner alley?"  
  
"Of course." Hao smiled brightly. "Spirit of Fire, or SoF, as I fondly call him--is genuine, automatic, custom-made, and most importantly, voice-activated," he added cheerfully. "No one else can operate it except me...and you."  
  
"Really?" Yoh was still frowning doubtfully. "Where'd you get that, anyway?"  
  
"...Let's just say I have my..._sources_," Hao answered with a mysterious smile.  
  
"Don't tell me..." Yoh's eyes widened slowly with realization. "...Oniichan...you've got--?"  
  
"Uh-huh." Hao confirmed with an impish grin. "Excellent guess, I must say."  
  
Yoh frowned off into the distance, silently contemplating how in this lifetime his twin brother could stand doing such a thing. More than terrorizing practically the whole school, _this_ was probably the reason why he was never around in class...except during exam week. He was entertaining his many WOMEN. "How many of them are there?"  
  
"Hmm, that all depends," Hao took several steps, whistling tunelessly as he smiled at his twin. "Are you asking about the regulars, the one-time deals, the VIPs, or--"  
  
"Never mind." Yoh sighed wearily, burying his hands in his pockets and walking gloomily across the pavement. "How can you _stand_ to DO this?" He wondered out loud. "I mean, what's the satisfaction you get from--"  
  
"I don't _sleep_ with them, if that's what you're asking," Hao assured him cheerfully. "I merely escort them to functions, gatherings, luncheons, meetings and such. In return, they give great gifts such as this--" he patted his black leather jacket, "this--" his black Police shades, "this--" his made-to-order black boots, "...and of course, SoF," he finished with a wink.  
  
Yoh stared at his brother, then sighed. "What in the WORLD am I going to do with you, ONIICHAN?"  
  
"Otouto, I'm FINE," Hao said in a soothing voice, placing an arm around his twin. "You know what? I think, instead of worrying about me, I suggest you worry about yourself."  
  
"I've got nothing to worry about." Yoh interjected with a shrug.  
  
"On the contrary," he patted his younger twin's head fondly. "You've got _plenty_ to worry about."  
  
"Eh?" A blank look.  
  
Hao exhaled. "Hello?" He tapped Yoh's head playfully. "Does the name _Kyouyama Anna_ a.k.a. the Ice Queen a.k.a. your personal _slave driver_ ring a bell?"  
  
"...Oh." Yoh managed. "...Right." He gave a long, defeated sigh. "I don't understand why she has to treat me like THAT all the time--" he paused abruptly and stopped in his tracks, staring dumbfounded at the glass windows of the current establishment they were passing.  
  
A flower shop.  
  
"What's up, Otouto?" Hao inquired, pausing as well. He followed the direction of his brother's gaze. Yoh was looking at something inside the shop, for some reason.  
  
Or rather...at _someone_.  
  
"Well, well, well..." A broad grin spread across the elder Asakura's face as he finally caught sight of who his younger brother was looking at. "Speaking of the devil...or Ice Queen, rather...or wait a minute...is it _angel_ now?" He teased, nudging Yoh at the side.  
  
Yoh gave his brother a warning look, then, turned back to inside the shop. "What's _she_ doing here?" He asked in a whisper. He ducked behind a row of potted flowers, and gestured for Hao to follow.  
  
"Seems to me like she's _babysitting_ little Tamao-chan again," Hao commented dryly. "...There. See?" He gestured towards the door at the end of the shop, where, sure enough, the pink-haired junior was coming out, followed by an older and slightly plump version of Pilica...who could only be hers and Horo-horo's dear mother. Bringing up the rear was Horo-horo himself, who looked cheerful enough...but immediately lost the big smile on his face and turned a little pale as soon as he realized that Anna was still there.  
  
The beautiful seventeen-year-old blonde was sitting on a chair near the cash register, her legs crossed demurely, and her arms folded impatiently across her chest. She gave a brief, polite nod at Horo-horo's mother, flashed an impatient look at her cousin, and then...gave Horo-horo her most penetrating glare.  
  
Said person winced and practically cowered in fear behind his mother--an action which was pretty much moot, since he was a full head taller than her. Giving up, he sighed with defeat, and sat down on the other chair near Anna and began to watch Tamao talk animatedly with his mother, all the while trying very hard to ignore the blonde's death glares. Snatching a paper bag that was on the table, he brought out a couple of food items. Then, he took a large bite from a Big Mac and gulped his chocolate milkshake--apparently his way of shielding himself from Anna's lethal gazes.  
  
"Honestly," Hao said with a shake of his head as the two of them ever-so-cautiously peeked at the scene, "it's not like Horo-horo-kun over there will ever do anything to hurt her little cousin. I mean, from what Tamao-chan's told me, he's been treating her quite magnificently." He paused, thinking. "...Not to mention the fact that she totally adores him to the ends of the earth, with them being _best friends_ and all."  
  
"How do you know all this?" Yoh wondered, glancing suspiciously at his twin.  
  
A sigh. "Otouto, haven't you guessed it yet?" Hao sighed. "I _know_ everything...especially when it comes to Tamao-chan, Ice Queen...and you." He added triumphantly. "...Ever since I ruined her pretty little stuffed toy, twelve years ago, I've been trying to make amends with Tamao-chan. And she appreciates what I'm doing," he added with a smile. "As much as I'm your elder brother...I am _hers_, as well."  
  
"So...all this time you've been her secret-keeper?" Yoh asked. He gave a small, wistful sigh as he caught sight of Anna again.  
  
"You might say that," Hao said thoughtfully. "She tells me plenty of things, including..." he gave his brother a sidelong glance, apparently contemplating on whether he should reveal it or not. Then, thinking better of it, he shook his head. "...Never mind. I think it'd be best if _she's_ the one who tells you about it."  
  
"About what?" Yoh gazed at him with interest.  
  
"Nothing." Hao smiled innocently, turning his brother's head back to the scene inside the flower shop.  
  
As he caught sight once more of Anna's beautiful profile, Yoh gave another sigh. He continued staring at her, wondering if he could ever tell her how he really felt, but he knew he couldn't. Heck, he didn't even know how he _really_ felt, come to think of it. Either way, he just couldn't help but act..._stupid_ every single time he's around her. As if _she_ didn't think he was stupid enough already.  
  
The strangest thing was, he never used to act like this before, every time he was with her. When they were younger, he'd always have a ready smile for her, and a wonderful story to tell. She had always been pretty aloof to everyone, and cold, even as a child. The only person she ever smiled at was her cousin...and occasionally, him. At least, during those times when he did something to make her laugh...and he'd often make an effort to make her laugh. Even as a child, she had the most beautiful laugh, and the greatest smile...and he'd never forgotten. Seeing the happiness break out of her face was a rare sight, a rare gift...and rare gifts were like the most precious treasures to him.  
  
Growing up does the strangest things to people, he realized. If his older twin used to make harmless, childish fun of everyone and everything around him, now...sometimes he even went as far as to defy and disobey their grandparents and their father. Ever since their mother died, seven years ago, Hao hasn't been the same. What used to be harmless pranks became troublesome, and things that he never thought his brother would do--like getting paid to spend time with women--he was doing them now, without hesitance or inhibition.  
  
As for Anna...her cold, calculating and cynical nature remained...and the rare smiles, the rare laugh became even rarer. Sometimes, Yoh wondered if she had lost the ability to smile and to laugh altogether. And sometimes, he wondered if it was all his fault.  
  
As for him...nature-wise, he never did change. The happy-go-lucky attitude that he's had ever since childhood was still there...coupled with the ability to stand up to his rights and fulfill his responsibilities. He was still as cheerful as always, and he made it a point to be nice and kind to everyone...even to people who didn't like him.  
  
Perhaps...the only real, genuine thing that has changed in him was...his treatment of Anna. If he used to be so friendly with her before, when they were children, now...he found that he was somehow...wary, nervous, and scared when he was around her. It wasn't because he was afraid of her--although that could very well be it--but mainly, he was afraid of what he _might_ do. As mentioned, he never failed to act stupid around her; and the most frightful thing about that was, he was always constantly worrying that he might do something stupid, and because of his worries, coupled with nervousness--he _always_ manages to be successfully stupid in front of her.  
  
Yoh sighed again. He often wondered what was responsible for him suddenly changing in his treatment of Anna...  
  
"It's called 'puberty,' Otouto," Hao told him cheerfully.  
  
Yoh flashed his brother a look. He and Hao had a telepathic--sometimes empathic--link. They could often tell what the other one was thinking, and although it was advantageous for the most part, sometimes, he couldn't help but feel annoyed. Hao had the worst timing when it comes to reading _his_ thoughts and feelings...and mostly, Hao managed to _read_ him during those times when he was thinking about Anna. Her, and his feelings for her...  
  
"If you want to tell her, just go ahead and do it!" Hao told him suddenly.  
  
Yoh gave his brother another look. "Oniichan, STOP reading my thoughts," he said in a quiet, warning tone.  
  
Hao sighed dramatically. "Well, if you _would_ broadcast it in a little _less obvious_ frequency, then _maybe_ I wouldn't."  
  
Yoh buried his head in his hands and moaned. "You're driving me crazy."  
  
His twin sniffed. "It's not me, Otouto. It's _her_," he gestured emphatically towards Anna.  
  
"The TWO of you are driving me crazy. You're reading my feelings even though I don't want you to, and her...she doesn't even know how I feel--"  
  
"--And you _really_ want her to know but you're _afraid_ to tell her," Hao finished triumphantly. "Kinda makes you wish you and her had the telepathic link instead of us, don't you?"   
  
Yoh looked at his twin, mortified. "Of course not!" He said defensively. "I mean, it's not like she can't even sense my feelings within five feet of distance--"  
  
"Well in that case, you're pretty good at hiding your _real_ feelings from her, if she can sense you from that far off and _not _manage to feel it," Hao concluded. "Speaking of sensing...is that how she managed to find us in the cherry grove at lunch today?"  
  
A sigh. "...Sort of." Yoh took another peek at Anna, then sighed again. "She sensed our location, but...she wouldn't have found us that easily if she didn't see you standing on top of the tree."  
  
"Oh." Hao grinned sheepishly. "So she did. Hmm..." He glanced at his brother thoughtfully. "What did you forget to do, anyway?"  
  
Yoh winced. "Help out the Prom committee with the decorations." He scratched his head and shrugged helplessly. "I got sidetracked."  
  
"Hm." Hao narrowed his eyes at his twin. "...And the price I had to pay for _your_ forgetfulness is a bump on my beautiful head? You owe me one, brother." He pointed to the small mark on his forehead.  
  
"If it makes you feel any better, my back still hurts," Yoh pointed out, stretching his arms and shoulders a bit, and wincing slightly as he recalled the events of lunchtime. After finding them in their position at the cherry tree (him sleeping under it, and Hao on top of it), Anna had, for a brief moment, run amok, and threw a hard-bound notebook at Hao's head. Startled, Hao lost his balance, slipped on the branch he was standing on, and fell...directly on top of the sleeping Yoh. Had it not been for Tamao, Anna would have done a lot worse to the two of them, but as it was...she had reluctantly followed her cousin's advice and walked away from the twins, still seething with rage. "...I'll never do that again," he vowed with passion.  
  
"You'd better not," Hao muttered.  
  
Yoh sighed. "I wonder if she'll ever forgive me," he said quietly, sitting on the pavement and resting his back against the potted flowers.  
  
"Oh, she will," Hao assured him with a cheerful wink, settling himself against the pots as well. "...One thing I'll always remember about the two of you is that...no matter what you do, she can never stay angry at you for too long."  
  
Yoh sighed again. "...I hope you're right."  
  
For a couple of minutes, the two of them just sat, quite oblivious to the curious gazes people entering the flower shop gave them as they passed them by.  
  
"You know..." Hao began, examining his brother thoughtfully. "I never quite understood...what _exactly_ do you see in Ice Queen?"  
  
"Eh?" Yoh looked at him blankly. "What do you mean?"  
  
Hao rolled his eyes with exasperation. "I mean _you_. And _her_. The two of you. If you haven't been living under a rock, at school...even the teachers think you two are..." he paused meaningfully, "...and that Ice Queen is somehow..._steering_ the relationship."  
  
"W...what?" Blushing furiously, Yoh gave his brother a horrified look. "We're not...like _that_! We're just...just..."  
  
"Ahh, never mind," Hao waved his hand dismissively. "It's not my business anyway. And hey, if you enjoy being her henpecked boyfriend, that's fine with me."  
  
"I am _not_ her henpecked boyfriend!" Yoh said defensively. "I'm just--"  
  
"What are you TWO doing HERE?" A familiar female voice demanded.  
  
The twins looked up from their position...and came face-to-face with none other than the beautiful and very deadly Kyouyama Anna. Her hands were on her hips, and she was tapping her foot impatiently. One of her eyebrows were raised in annoyance, and a vein on her forehead was on the brink of popping.  
  
Hao and Yoh froze in their positions for several seconds. Then, recovering swiftly, Hao stood up, flashed her his sweetest, most innocent grin, and pulled his twin brother up. "...We were just leaving. Ja, Ice Queen!"  
  
Yoh, who was still gradually recovering from the shock (as well as the pleasure) that came from seeing the object of his affections, allowed his brother to drag him as he stared at Anna. "Uh...uh...ja!" And with that, the famous Asakura twins zoomed off, faster than two speeding bullet trains.  
  
Anna gave a long, long sigh as she stared disbelievingly in the direction the twins disappeared to. Shaking her head, she tossed her hair and went back once more inside the flower shop, all the while contemplating everything she had heard from the twins' conversation.

-  
  
"That was close," Yoh puffed, leaning against the wall of the latest structure they were passing by and catching his breath.  
  
Taking a few inhales and trying very hard to gain his composure back, Hao straightened out his jacket, his shoes, his pants and his shades. Tossing his hair back, he took a small band from his jacket pocket and tied it up. "You can say that again." Then, he dug inside his pants pocket and handed a small, flat, gold object to Yoh. "Here."  
  
"What's this?" Yoh held up the small thing in the light. His eyes widened. "No _way_. You've got a--"  
  
"--Gold card? Yeah," Hao stepped inside the tailor's shop and gestured for his brother to follow. "It's an extension one of the ladies gave me."  
  
Yoh walked inside the the shop, watching his brother as he took off the jacket and placed it in the coat rack. "You're sure you're not having sex with any of them?"  
  
"Of course I'm not," Hao said indignantly, slapping his twin's head. "They're just rich, what can I say? Now follow me. We're fitting."  
  
"Fitting what?"  
  
Hao exhaled impatiently. "Prom wear. _Tuxedos_, what else?" He nodded meaningfully at the salesman in charge.  
  
"Tuxedos? But--"  
  
"Otouto, for god's sake, just get in THERE!" He pushed his brother inside the dressing room before he followed suit with much more dignity.  
  
After a couple of minutes, the twins stood in front of a mirror, admiring the way the other looked in the formal wear. Or at least, one of them were. Yoh just stood there, frozen, staring at himself in shock.  
  
Hao smiled with satisfaction at his reflection. "Otouto, you and I are going to break a LOT of hearts at Prom night." He declared.  
  
Yoh winced, an image of Anna's beautiful face suddenly flashing into his mind. "...I hope not."TSUZUKU.

**  
Notes:  
**  
_Nacho Cheesier Doritos_, _Dunkin Donuts_, _Mountain Dew_, _Big Mac_, and the recipe for _Chocolate Chip and Cherry Cookies_ and _Peanut Butter Cookies_ belong to the people who own them, and that's not me. Thanks.  
  
_Broken Vow_ and _Again_ belong to their respective owners, not to me. I just use them for my own selfish purposes.  
  
_Macbeth_ (and the title of this chapter) belongs to Shakespeare, not me. Though I wish I owned it.;;  
  
I own a pair of _Police_ shades, but otherwise, it's not mine.  
  
_  
Review Replies:_ **Sheo**, fluff coming right up in Act III (I hope). **chibi**, you'll see it soon. Hope you did well on those tests!=) **Dragon Pearl1**, you and me both. **Mendori-chan**, thank you. **ahnigurL**, prom will start in the next act. **Saikoro**, nope. He's a two-time martial arts champion.=) **Lafine**, oh yes.Very noisy, very lively...and very happy. You're welcome.=) **keiko**, the Yoh here enough for you?lol **GoddessLD**, that's fine. Just continue to read, ne? **gatita**, oh yes...this is like the product of all my fantasies. Now if I only had me in there... **panaginip02**, thanks. **FungiFungusRayne**, thanks, glad you liked them. **mousee**, here's the update! **bOw-doWn-tO-KeiKO**, here ya go. **Itako No Anna Asakura**, let's ask someone to make a fanart of that, shall we? **Hotaru**, that's ok. I'm a little late for Yoh and Hao's birthday, but anyway, here it is, dedicated to them.=) **cherri-chan**, glad you think so. **Shaina**, aamin rin yan in due time, don't worry. And it was not my intention to make it seem like...magkikita silang dalawa na medyo...kulang-kulang sa mga suot na damit, I swear! Hehe, sige kain ka na ng cookies.:P **Miko-chan**, oh yes. Mas masaya kung si Hao ang kakagat sakin...starts having hentai thoughts Anong ginagawa namin nung sinusulat ko to...? Hmm...secret.;) Sana natuwa ka sa appearance ni Hao dito. Thank you! **DayDrEaMiNg-child**, well, that depends on how you look at him. This is an AU world, if you remember. **anoyedshehighsupremeautho**, more of that coming up soon! **grandsummon**, hope you liked this one. **Trinity**, nahh, you don't wanna hit Ren...trust me. Everything will come into place all in due time, don't worry. **Hannah Kyouyama**, keep wondering. **KristiexxNguyen**, here ya go. **Eikou**, I didn't really get that part about Mick. As for Boro-boro...it was the reaction they got from Horo that was funny, not the name itself. I think **firequeen78**, glad you do. Nahh, don't punch him. We shouldn't waste our time and energy with people like that. **Nobuyasha**, thank you.:) **Fire-Princess2192**, here ya go. **Fluff Inc**, thank you.=) More of meddlesome Ran and Jun coming up! **Takari-san**, here's the next chapter! **Kira**, oh yes...that definitely makes a nice picture, doesn't it?:P Thanks for the review (hint: when's your next update?).  
  
_UP NEXT_: **Act III: Set.** And so it begins, our much-awaited Prom night...sort of.


	14. Act III, Scene 1: The Past, the Present,...

**Promenade  
by Apple-chan  
**  
Disclaimer: All I own is a pack of cookies and a pen.  
  
Summary: Four couples, one perfect night...or is it? A 5-act tale on how four young men and four young women fall in love at the night of their Junior-Senior Prom. YXA, RXP, LXJ, and HXT.  
  
Dedicated to all of you passel of LXJ fans out there, like **Fluff Inc**, **Sheo Darren**, **Miko-chan **and her **Imouto**, just to name a few. Thanks for the support, and hope you like this.=)  
  
And a special dedication goes to **PrismaticMage**, for being such a great Lyserg in the SKRP at LJ, and for...making me like Marco/Lyserg.:P Let's just say I'd be _really_ glad if I get you sort of converted to..._totally_ liking LXJ.:P Yui-chan, hope you like this one.=)

**  
ACT III: Set.  
****  
  
**_SCENE 1: The Past, the Present, and the Future_.  
**  
  
**A silvery-blue haired man in his early forties, known to many as Sir Pierre Iron, and known to his one and only child as "Father," gazed fondly at a delicately-framed picture in his hand. A small, contemplative frown hovered on his handsome features...but his deep blue eyes reflected a small wave of hurting, of pain, as he stroked the picture softly, lovingly.  
  
The image on the picture was that of his late wife--a vibrant, beautiful French girl with long light auburn hair and captivating ruby eyes. He had met her during his business travels, somewhere in Athens, around three years short of two decades ago. She was a choir singer, a missionary; and that meeting, seventeen years ago--a haphazard coincidence--was a fateful day when he had somehow managed to find himself lost, and the safest and nearest haven was the Church, where she was.  
  
And when he saw her...half a year after he had gotten his heart broken by the first woman he had ever loved, and worse--to know that she was in love with his _best friend_--he didn't think he could recover so fast.  
  
And yet he did--and it was all because of her. His beautiful, wonderful wife. Cassandra Iron.  
  
He continued to caress the image on the picture lovingly, his hands moving over to that little baby in the arms of his wife--a little girl with silvery-blue hair, and the same ruby eyes as Cassandra. Their beautiful daughter, Jeanne. A child, born out of their love.  
  
_Love._ A lot of people had been in deep, violent protest over his decision to wed Cassandra, that it was too soon for him to marry, that he didn't really love her...but he knew then, just as he knew now: he _did_ love her. It was different from the love that he had...that he would _always_ have for Andrea Diethyl--his first love, and his ex-best friend's late wife--but it was love, nevertheless. Although, he had always believed--at least, his hard, stubborn mind did--that he would never love anyone the way that he loved Andrea...when Cassandra suffered from an illness and died, shortly after Andrea did, he realized: he loved her more, and Andrea was nothing but a mere memory he couldn't let go of.  
  
Either way, although his heart might have been shattered during Andrea's death, he knew this much: he ceased to live when Cassandra died.  
  
Still...he could never forget Andrea, because she fell in love with Liam--and vice versa. And because of that, he doubted if he could ever forgive either of them--Liam, or Andrea. The two people he had loved and trusted the most in the whole world, and they had betrayed him in the worst possible way. They had been in love for so long, and he never even knew until they got married. Liam, his best friend since childhood--he never even told him. And Andrea--his first love, his first girlfriend, his many firsts-- didn't even give him so much as a warning that she was planning to break his heart. He knew it wasn't her fault, but still...he felt betrayed.  
  
Seeing their son in the flesh--with his spiky green hair, so like Liam's; his wide green eyes, so like Andrea's--and watching the boy move and interact with his _precious_ Jeanne--he was constantly reminded of their betrayal, and he never wanted to remember. Which is why he vowed to himself that, after that first time, _never_ in a million years would he ever want to set eyes on Liam and Andrea's son again...and neither will he let his only daughter interact, and, quite possibly, be _friends_ with this young boy, no matter how perfect he is.  
  
_Never in a million years, and that's a promise,_ he told himself silently.  
  
"...Father?" Jeanne's soft melodious voice broke through her thoughts.  
  
As he watched his one and only daughter descend the grand steps like a graceful, beautiful princess, Pierre felt as if he was going back through time, and returning to that quiet little Church in Athens when he had first seen, met, and fell in love with Cassandra. Except for the hair, which she had inherited from him--Jeanne was her mother's pure perfect clone through and through--from her face, her ruby eyes; and the way she moved, to her walk, to the way she spoke, laughed; and most especially...her _voice_, and the way she sang.  
  
"Are you all right?" Jeanne had reached the bottom step and was now hovering in front of him, waving her hands in his face, her brows furrowed with concern. "Father?" She tapped his shoulder gently, and smiled faintly.  
  
He snapped back into reality. As he looked over his daughter from head to toe, he clutched the picture frame he was still holding tightly in his hands.  
  
_Cassandra._ He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes. She was the living, breathing picture of his Cassandra.  
  
"...I'm fine," he answered in a slightly choked voice as he tried his very best to prevent the tears from coming out of his eyes. The picture frame he was holding dropped to the table with a small sound.  
  
Jeanne's eyes went to the picture frame, and an expression of incredible sadness washed over her features as she picked it up and settled it firmly on top of the mantle. Then, she took her father's hand and kissed it, all the while gazing at him with a sad smile.  
  
Her father shakily returned the smile. "You remind me so much of her," he choked out in a whisper.  
  
"...There's no one I'd rather be like," she declared softly, rising up on tiptoes and pressing a kiss to his cheek. Then, she tapped his hand lightly and gave him a bright smile. "Father...shall we go?"  
  
He nodded, squeezing her hand lightly and leading her out the door, where Marco was waiting for them.  
  
Right then and there, he realized: Cassandra does, indeed, live and breathe in Jeanne. And just as long as he had his daughter...he had something to live for.  
  
He knew now: he hadn't ceased to live yet...he still had his precious daughter. He still _had_ Jeanne.  
  
For the time being, he would cherish that, because he knew...she wouldn't be his for very long. One of these days, she would be leaving him for another man.  
  
_When that time comes, I would be ready,_ he vowed silently as they stepped inside their old vintage Ferrari.  
  
_...And that other man, whoever he is, he'd better be ready as well.  
  
I'm not about to give my daughter up that easily...to anyone._  
**  
  
**-  
**  
  
**Jeanne wrung her hands together several times, nervously fidgeting as they drove towards Professor Silverberg's house, which was a short distance away from where she lived. She stole a glance at Marco on the driver's seat; and then, at her father on the front passenger's seat, silently hoping and praying that all goes well for the night.  
  
The last two weeks have been, in a manner of speaking, so far, so good, for both her and Lyserg--at least, in terms of rehearsals, since Professor Silverberg and the rest of his family have been accommodating enough to allow both of them to stay on as late as they needed in order to finish their practices on the song pieces for prom night. More than that, the Silverbergs even went so far as to take both her and Lyserg home each and every time they extended well off into the night; with either the Professor or one of his two sons doing the driving.  
  
So far, both Jeanne's father and her nosy bodyguard Marco haven't suspected a thing as of yet, and if all goes well for the rest of the time--at least, for the night--neither Pierre nor Marco (nor any other unsuspicious staff in the Iron household) would ever find out that Jeanne and Lyserg have been..._seeing_ each other, so to speak--in the past month or so, with the help of the good graces of the Silverberg family.  
  
"Well...we're here." Her father announced suddenly, breaking through her thoughts.  
  
Jeanne looked up. The Ferrari had stopped, and now both Marco and her father had stepped out of the vehicle to assist her.  
  
_This is it._ Taking a deep breath, she smiled at her father and at her bodyguard, took each of their outstretched hands, and nervously glanced up at the looming structure that was none other than the Silverberg Manor.  
  
Her red-haired professor was already waiting at the front by the time they reached the gates to ring the doorbell. She gave a small sigh of relief, and upon spotting him, she couldn't help but give a light, cheerful wave.  
  
George Silverberg (clad in his best black tuxedo and shiny new leather shoes) waved back, casting what looked to Jeanne to be a furtive but meaningful glance at the two men behind her. He gave her a thumbs-up sign and smiled his most reassuring smile, his eyes conveying volumes. _Everything will be fine. Trust me.  
_  
Jeanne chuckled slightly, unmindful of her father's disapproving grunts and Marco's hiss of "Jeanne-sama!" as she walked across the pathway, passing through the newly-opened gates to greet her teacher, who had descended as soon as they arrived and was now standing at the bottom of the front steps of his house.  
  
"Jeanne," the professor clasped both her hands and gave them a fond squeeze. For a few minutes, he surveyed her from head to toe the way an admiring father would.  
  
"...Stunning," he breathed after some time, a smile of awe and reverence grazing his lips.  
  
Her cheeks pinked slightly at this declaration. "...Thank you," she managed in a whisper. She peered over her shoulder, frowning slightly at the way her father and her bodyguard now hovered on either side of her like sentries. She rolled her eyes heavenward, then shook her head and decided to ignore them. She glanced back at her teacher; then, gathering up a considerable amount of courage, she walked closer...and enfolded him in a huge hug. Somewhere behind her, she could hear her father and Marco's disapproving grunts; but their sense of decency far overwhelmed their urge to pry her away from Silverberg, so everything went exactly as it was.  
  
Jeanne could hear the professor's slightly startled breath, but it went as quickly as it came and he hugged her back wholeheartedly. Taking her cue on that, she tiptoed ever-so-slightly and leaned against his ear, careful not to be too obvious to her father and her bodyguard. "Professor," she muttered so that only he could hear, "where's...?"  
  
Her teacher chuckled with amusement, patting her head softly as he spoke. "...Inside. Caesar's helping him with his clothes. Don't worry, you'll see him soon," he added knowingly. And then, as if he was psyching her up for it, he went on, "...from what I've seen so far, he looks pretty GOOD."  
  
Her face reddened even more at this. Even if he had known her for only a short time, Professor Silverberg certainly knew her...and the things she loved..._liked_, rather.  
  
_Lyserg_, for example.  
  
"Ahem." Her father gave a loud cough, causing both her and Silverberg to break off abruptly, and turn around. "George Silverberg, I presume?" He asked in a slightly haughty tone, a silvery-blue eyebrow raised.  
  
Silverberg nodded, smiling sincerely as he held out his hand. "George Silverberg at your service, Sir Iron."  
  
"Pleasure," Sir Iron said stiffly, shaking the other man's hand briefly as Marco stood by him, ready to strike if the professor made a wrong move. Jeanne watched her father as he let go of her old professor's hand; his eyes remained focused at the music teacher, his probing, penetrating gaze appraising him from head to toe, trying to determine if he could be trusted or not.  
  
Meanwhile, Silverberg continued to smile pleasantly, winking at Jeanne for about half a second, ensuring her that he would be able to handle this, and she had nothing to worry about. "I trust your daughter has already told you of our plans, Sir Iron?" He asked in a mild, respectful tone.  
  
"Yes indeed." Sir Iron responded curtly, flashing a meaningful look at his daughter. Then, he turned back to Silverberg, crossing his arms over his chest and suspiciously peering inside the house. "...And where might your SON be?"  
  
"Oh...Caesar, you mean?" Silverberg scratched his head sheepishly, frowning at the entrance to his home. "Well, he's still dressing up, I suppose--"  
  
"Did someone call me?" A cheerful voice sounded from the doorway. Seconds later, Caesar Silverberg's head popped out, along with the rest of him. A younger, more mischievous version of his father, Caesar was dressed in a Prussian blue tuxedo, his hair in a windblown style, with a black leather shoe on his hand. "Dad, who's at the..." he paused abruptly, grinning as he spotted Jeanne, and then bowing respectfully as he spotted her father. Finally he raised an eyebrow at Marco, who pushed his glasses up his nose and grunted in annoyance. "You're early," he commented.  
  
"No, we are NOT early," Marco threw back in a sharp, crisp tone as he pointed huffily at his watch. "It is EXACTLY--"  
  
"I KNOW what time it is, _Marco_, you don't need to tell me," Caesar cut off cheerfully as he hopped around in an effort to put on his shoes. Finally, he settled to sitting on the steps just a small distance from his father. He glanced up and grinned good-naturedly at Jeanne's father. "I'd shake your hand, Sir, but as you can see--" he gestured to his feet.  
  
"There is no need." Slightly outraged by Caesar's rash behavior, Pierre Iron took a couple of steps backward and flashed a glare in George's direction. Then, he turned demandingly to his daughter. "THIS is the boy who's playing the piano?" He muttered incredulously at her.  
  
Jeanne nodded, frowning slightly at her father. "...You said you'd let me go as long as it wasn't--"  
  
"So I _did_," he snapped. "But I never said you can choose just anyone!" He hissed.  
  
"He isn't just anyone, Father!" Jeanne protested, her voice rising slightly.  
  
"Jeanne's right, Sir Iron," George said, flashing his son a reproving look before turning back to the two Irons. "...Please forgive him for being rude. He's in a weird mood...but I assure you, he will not disrespect Jeanne in any way," he added reassuringly. Then, he nudged Caesar with the tip of his left shoe. "Stand up and apologize, Caesar."  
  
"APOLOGIZE?" Caesar looked horrified. He and Marco had always been on bad terms, ever since Marco practically bit Caesar's head off the first time he drove Jeanne home after rehearsals. "...To HIM?" He pointed repulsively at Marco. "But _Dad_--"  
  
"Caesar." George's tone held a warning note.  
  
Caesar pouted. "Tch. FINE." Glaring pointedly at Marco, he reluctantly held out his hand, descending a couple of steps as he did so. "I am so absolutely, _positively_," his voice was laced thick with sarcasm, "...terribly,_ incredibly_ so--YAARGH!" He exclaimed as a small pinkish-white cat slithered in between his legs just as he was walking and headed straight for Jeanne. He stood on one knee, trying to regain his balance--without much success. "God..damn...it..." he muttered under his breath trying to grasp something.  
  
"What in the WORLD--" Pierre said with surprise, staring ludicrously at the cat.  
  
"M...Morphin!" Jeanne glanced at the two Silverbergs, trepidation hovering in her heart as the pink cat rubbed against the hem of her dress, purring enthusiastically. As happy as she was to see Lyserg's pet cat (which was a sure sign that he was somewhere in the Manor), Morphin's appearance signaled trouble, most especially if--  
  
"_MORPHIN?!?_" Marco uttered incredulously, staring with suspicion at the cat. Jeanne gave an inward groan. _He recognizes Morphin. This is just wonderful._ "Sir," he nudged his employer meaningfully. "...I believe I've seen that CAT somewhere before. I think...yes, indeed! It was in the Diethyl Man--OOOF!" He gave a surprised yelp as Caesar's footing finally gave way, and he fell--straight into Marco.  
  
"She's MY cat!" The younger Silverberg interjected quickly, pushing Marco forcefully off of him and flashing a meaningful look in Jeanne's direction. _Play along_, his eyes said. "...Isn't that right, Jeanne?"  
  
"Yes." Jeanne nodded instantly, gracefully bending down to cradle Morphin in her arms. "I feed her during rehearsal sessions," she added for good measure, glancing at her father warily.  
  
Pierre was still staring at the cat, and frowning. He didn't seem to have heard her. Either that, or he was ignoring both her and Caesar. "...You're right, Marco. This cat DOES look a lot like that one in the..." his voice trailed off, his frown evolving into a full-fledged glare as he turned to his daughter. "...JEANNE!"  
  
"Yes, Father?" Jeanne inquired nervously, her fingers fiddling repeatedly with Morphin's light pink fur as she looked back at her father. _Calm down. Calm. Down._  
  
"Who owns that CAT?" He said with demand, his eyes boring into her. "Tell me HONESTLY."  
  
She bit her lip, furtively glancing at Caesar and George, wondering if they'd be able to rescue her. White lies are one thing, but a blatant, outright lie like this one...she doubted if she would be able to manage it without breaking down. "Uh...umm...it's--"  
  
"Morphin is my son Caesar's cat, Sir Iron," her professor chose that time to speak, much to her relief. "I assure you, she is OURS," he added, nodding.  
  
"...Yeah! What Dad said...Sir," Caesar said, adding further proof as respectfully--and as truthfully--as he could manage. Which, given that it was Caesar, wasn't much. "I've had her for about four hours--_years_," he corrected himself hastily. "Four years. She's been with us four whole years," he nodded agreeably. "She loves all of us. Especially me," he added, grinning as he attempted to give the cat a pat on the head. "...Isn't that right, little Morph--YEOWCH!" He yelped, retracting his hand quickly and flashing Morphin a warning look as he nursed his bloody finger. He smiled sheepishly at Jeanne's father, who was now looking more and more suspicious by the second. "Er...she's been a bit..._temperamental_ lately. Doesn't let anyone else touch her except for my cousin and your daughter," he said with conviction, glancing at George, then at Jeanne, apparently wondering if his reason was believable enough.  
  
Sir Iron, meanwhile, continued to glare at the cat. For that matter, so did Marco. "...Is that SO?"  
  
Morphin purred loudly, licking the silvery-blue haired young girl's hand with the same fondness that she obviously had for her master. Jeanne smiled at the cat and stroked her fur, wincing slightly at her father's penetrating stare and at her bodyguard's suspicious frown, but still trying very hard to ignore them. She concentrated on Morphin instead.  
  
_Lord God Almighty, if I get through this, I'll never ask you for anything again. Please, just help us get this over with...Professor Silverberg and Caesar and I. Please, let this end as soon as possible.  
  
I...want to see him...  
_  
Morphin gave a soft mewl, as if to assure her that her prayers would be answered, and that it wouldn't be long until she sees him. With a soft sigh, she leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to the cat's nose. _Thank you, Morphin._  
  
"YES, of course!" Caesar answered Pierre's question, his voice slightly raised. He continued to glance back and forth between his father and Jeanne, all the while still nursing his bloody finger. Then, seeing as no one obviously believed him, he rolled his eyes and sighed. "...All right, all right, FINE. I admit it," he began grudgingly, "SOMEONE gave her to me. See, I used to be really really good friends with this guy...Lyserg Diethyl," he glanced meaningfully at Pierre and Marco, "I think you know him. He gave Morphin to me as a present for my thirteenth birthday. He said he was tired of her, you know," he explained.  
  
"But then, just last year, he and I had this really incredibly terrible row, and we haven't spoken since." He gave an award-winning dark glare. "_Good riddance, _I say. He wasn't much of a friend to me. USED me a lot. A really _bad_ guy," he added disdainfully, nodding at Sir Iron. "I never returned Morphin. I mean, she's MY cat now. And besides...my cousin loves her so much, and the thing is, I have no intention of hurting her feelings, ever. My COUSIN," he said in a slightly louder voice, "...is a VERY sensitive young woman. And taking Morphin away would break her heart," he added. "...Isn't that right, SARAH?" He shouted to the open doorway.  
  
Seventeen-year old Sarah Silverberg-Rune, George's only niece, peeked her head out the door, her long platinum-blonde hair glinting against the porch light. One fine brow was quirked with mild irritation at her cousin. "What is it, Caesar? I've still got a LOT of things to fix, so if it's not important, you'd better just--oh. Hello," she glanced with surprise upon noticing everyone. "...Jeanne!" She smiled cheerfully at her fellow choir member, and Jeanne smiled in return. "Uncle George," she gazed with polite curiosity at Pierre and Marco. "What's all this about?"  
  
George sighed. "Well, Sarah, the thing is, Morphin here--" he gestured to the pinkish-white cat, "and Sir Iron here--" he then gestured politely to Jeanne's father, "--was asking about OUR cat. Apparently--"  
  
"HE doesn't believe SHE belongs to US," Caesar said with pointed tactlessness, glaring darkly at Marco, apparently thinking that it was the bodyguard's whole fault why they were having such a hard time convincing Sir Iron, and why he was refusing to believe them. "Can you PLEASE do us a favor and tell HIM?" He gestured in a slightly less polite way to Jeanne's father.  
  
"Well, OF COURSE Morphin belongs to US!" Sarah said firmly, gracefully gliding down the steps, the hem of her glittered beige gown fluttering behind her as she gently retrieved the pinkish cat from Jeanne's arms, winking at her (so subtly that Jeanne almost didn't notice) as she did so. She then flashed a polite, serene smile at Sir Iron. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Sir," she gave a respectful bow. "...I sincerely apologize. You see, our cat Morphin," she stroked the cat's neck, and Morphin purred with appreciation, "was getting restless being cooped up inside the Manor for too long. That's the reason why she ran off to your daughter like that. It's just her way of being friendly...and well, she got pretty close to Jeanne during the past two weeks, what with the rehearsals and all." She added, smiling beatifically for everyone's benefit, pure and utter sincerity reflected in her beautiful blue eyes.  
  
Both Sir Iron and Marco stared with shocked admiration at Sarah. Jeanne cheered silently, quietly praying and thanking the heavens as her father's face finally softened, like he was convinced; and so did Marco's. Clearly, the both of them believed her.  
  
She glanced over at her professor. His face was still serious, but Jeanne could see a large triumphant grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. She caught his eye then, and he gave her a smile. _I told you so_, his eyes said, looking over meaningfully at Sarah.  
  
When she was talking to Professor Silverberg before about this whole plan, she never quite understood what he had meant when he had said that if _his_ words don't work, and if Caesar's persuasive skills don't work either, they could always turn to Sarah. If nothing else works, Sarah's convincing powers surely will. She was _that_ good. Looking at Sarah, so sweet, demure and soft-spoken, Jeanne couldn't believe it, but now that she had witnessed the powers firsthand, somehow, the admiration and respect she'd always had for the older girl had just increased twenty-thousand fold, if not more.  
  
Furthermore, she was also growing extremely fond of Sarah. She had always been like a sister to Jeanne, even in their early days as choir sisters...but they were closer now than they'd ever been before.  
  
Across from her, though, Caesar was smirking at his cousin and rolling his eyes, muttering every couple of seconds or so. Jeanne wasn't sure, but she could swear she heard him uttering under his breath the phrase "manipulative wench" over and over again. But he words were said, not with spite, but with extreme admiration and fondness.  
  
A loud ringing sound broke her train of thoughts, startling everyone and making Morphin mewl loudly.  
  
"Excuse me," her father muttered as he answered his cell phone. Jeanne watched as he turned around, rolled his eyes and spoke to the person on the other line. "Iron here. Yes...yes. I understand...indeed. Thank you...yes, I'll be there shortly. I will see you." After dispatching the call, he turned to Jeanne. "I believe I had already told you about this convention that I need to attend, had I not? It's in a country club not far from here," he explained in a low tone. "I'll be taking Marco along. Marco?"  
  
"Yes, sir." Marco almost saluted, but after noticing Caesar's mocking grin, directed at him, he decided against it, and instead, merely stood up straight. "I will wait for you in the car. Jeanne-sama," he bowed low, then respectfully retreated to the Ferrari amidst Caesar's less-than-subtle snickering.  
  
Satisfied, Pierre turned to George. "...I shall leave my daughter in your...hands," he said stiffly. Then with a swift glare, he added, "...If _anything_ happens to her--"  
  
"Father, I'll be FINE," Jeanne interrupted, walking towards him and taking his hands in hers, giving them a reassuring squeeze. "Please, go to that convention and don't worry about me. I'll be home before you know it, safe and sound. All right?" Rising on tiptoes, she brushed a soft kiss to his cheek. "...I'll see you." She smiled at him.  
  
Pierre's face flushed. "Yes...well. All right then." He nodded curtly at George and Caesar, before bowing slightly to Sarah. "Lady Sarah, please make sure no harm ever comes to my daughter."  
  
"I most definitely will." Sarah vowed with a bright smile. "Your daughter will be safe, Sir Iron. You can count on that."  
  
"I hope so. I shall go now." With another nod, and one last long sad look at Jeanne, he turned on his heel and left. He gave a small wave to his daughter before entering the car.  
  
Jeanne, along with the three Silverbergs, waited until the old Ferrari of the Irons was well out of the driveway before they all heaved identical sighs of relief.  
  
"...Bloody HELL," Caesar muttered. "Your dad is SCARY," he told Jeanne with a mock-shudder. "I thought he was going to bite my head off, I swear. He's THAT scary."  
  
"Indeed." George agreed, nodding at Jeanne and patting his son's back. "...And YOU, my son, were very RUDE," he told him sternly.  
  
Caesar rolled his eyes. "Well I wouldn't have been if it weren't for that..._bodyguard_," he spat out with a dark frown. "...I swear, he's even more annoying than that little airhead _Luc Hikusaak_," he said with emphasis, glancing pointedly at his cousin.  
  
"He is NOT an airhead!" Sarah defended at once in a quiet tone. "Luc is--"  
  
"Yeah, yeah." Caesar interrupted with a smirk. "Smart and sweet, blah-blah. Go ahead and defend his honor some more, I don't care," he said breezily. "How are YOU supposed to look after Jeanne here--" he placed an arm around Jeanne, who fought very hard to keep the surprise out of her face, "--if you'll be spending all your time with THAT GUY tonight? Remember, you PROMISED Sir Frightening Iron," he added meaningfully. "...Sorry, Jeanne," he added apologetically.  
  
Jeanne shook her head, chuckling at the way he had addressed her father. She peeked inside the house, hoping to catch a glimpse of Lyserg...just a little glimpse...  
  
"I can keep an EYE on her just FINE!" Sarah said defensively, brushing her fingers against Morphin's fur and smiling with amusement at the longing look in Jeanne's face. "...And besides," she addressed this to her cousin, "She'll have LYSERG the whole time. HE of all people can take care of her better than anyone else. He can PROTECT her better than anyone else."  
  
Caesar chuckled dryly. "Yeah, of COURSE he could. He can protect her from everyone...save for HIMSELF, and the THING IS, HE'S the greatest danger there is to Jeanne's innocence _and_ virgin--"  
  
"All right, THAT'S enough," George interrupted with a chastising look at his son. He looked over at Jeanne, who was now blushing beet red because of Caesar's last comment regarding innocence and virginity and LYSERG. "...We should probably go in first and let Jeanne catch her breath and rest up a bit. You're not due at school for another half an hour, anyway. We've still got plenty of time. Jeanne?" He smiled at her, gesturing warmly inside the house.  
  
"Great idea, Uncle George," Sarah declared as she walked up the stone path, still cradling Morphin in her arms. "...She can sit for a bit while I do a little re-touch on her make-up..."  
  
"...And while you're doing that, I'm going to see if my good man LYSERG is finished. I'm sure he's dying to see her. And I'm sure Jeanne's dying to see HIM too," Caesar added, winking at her as he assisted her up the stone steps. "...Isn't that right, Jeanne dear?"  
  
Jeanne nodded as she walked, averting her eyes and bowing her head slightly so that he couldn't see how red her cheeks were. As she entered the house, and got closer to wherever Lyserg was, she could feel her heart doing repeated flip-flops inside her chest.  
  
She wanted to see him. She really, _really_ wanted to see him.  
  
"Just wait here, all right? I'll go get him." Caesar winked at her one last time as he exited the area and ascended the stairs to head up to his room.  
  
Jeanne sat down on the nearest chair, took a deep breath, and waited.  
**  
  
**-  
**  
  
**Lyserg scanned the small pile of music sheets on top of Caesar's study table, tapping his foot nervously against the floor as he awaited the redhead senior's return.  
  
It had been ten minutes since Professor Silverberg had rushed out of the manor, apparently sensing Jeanne's arrival. The young girl had forewarned all of them (Lyserg most especially) that both her father and her bodyguard were going to drive her to the Manor during prom day to ensure her security and safety. They wanted to make sure the Silverbergs can be trusted first before leaving her to them.  
  
Because of this, the trusty Professor had devised a plan to make sure neither of the two--Sir Iron and Marco, that is--would ever find out that it wasn't Caesar at all whom Jeanne had been practicing with and will be playing as she sings during prom night, but still Lyserg, the young man they both detested like hell.  
  
Acting according to the music teacher's instructions, Lyserg arrived at the manor four hours earlier so that he (and the Silverbergs) will have just enough time to map the whole thing out, and be fully and completely ready by the time Jeanne arrives. While everything was being set-up, Lyserg was allowed, thankfully, to practice the song pieces for the prom long enough to sort out any kinks and mistakes. This, at least, offered him a little comfort, and enabled him to calm his very frazzled nerves.  
  
An hour and a half before the alleged arrival time, George had instructed both him and Caesar to get ready for the prom quickly, and he and Sarah did the same. All throughout their clothing session, Lyserg was so nervous, jittery and jumpy that Caesar had to assist him every step of the way; in fact, if they weren't such good friends, and if it weren't for the professor, Caesar would have given him one good smack on the head to end his misery. As it is, though, the redheaded senior, amidst his irritation and impatience, was more than willing to help a friend in need. Still though, it was a very difficult and nerve-wracking time for Lyserg.  
  
To make matters worse, he also had his cat to worry about the whole time. Since all the servants in his home were taking a vacation that weekend, no one would be around to take care of Morphin; and the pinkish-white cat tended to be quite restless when left on her own. Needless to say, Lyserg had no choice but to take her along, lest he come back to a house full of kitty litter, torn-up furniture, and mangled carpets and curtains--all in one night. It had happened before, and he wasn't going to let it happen again. At the very least, someone would be around to keep an eye on Morphin in the Silverberg Manor.  
  
Lyserg sighed, banging his head wearily on top of the desk. _How many more favors will the Silverbergs get to do for me tonight? For ONCE in my life, can't I even do ANYTHING by myself? I owe them too much already.  
_  
Sometimes he wondered why he had even agreed to all this. He didn't care about the prom. He didn't even want to go in the first place. It was a complete waste of time, especially since he had better things to do. He wasn't going to gain anything by going. More than that, he had nothing to look forward to in the prom. And it's not like there was ANYONE he wanted to be with there, anyway...  
  
_Jeanne.  
_  
Every single time he was laden with second thoughts about this whole thing, every time he gets the sudden urge to back out, and every single time he felt a twinge of regret, the minute Jeanne's face flashes into his mind...the second he remembers her smile, her laugh, her voice, and her complete and utter determination to do this...all his second thoughts just end up crumbling down.  
  
_If I can see her smile, and if I can make her feel good just by doing this...then it's all worth it.  
_  
_She_ was his reason. Everything..._all_ of this was for her.  
  
_This_ was something he couldn't quite understand, even with all his intelligence. He would never do something like this for himself. Something of this magnitude that it had to take a grownup's scheming methods, a couple of white lies and well-orchestrated plan--something like this was not worth his time and energy, if it was only for him, for the school, or even for Professor Silverberg.  
  
And yet...for Jeanne--and _only_ for her--he would overcome the toughest, most difficult obstacles...and he didn't even know why. _Why_ would he do it? _Why_ would he bother? Who was _she_ to him, anyway?  
  
...He honestly didn't know. All he remembered was, he met her a long time ago...and kept her sheltered and warmed on that cold stormy night, nine years ago. She was someone who needed help at that time. Later on, she became something of a friend...a younger sister he had to protect, to take care of, and to guide. And because of Professor Silverberg, ever since a couple of weeks ago until now..._she_ was one of his prospective girlfriends. And if he was to listen to what the music teacher kept on insisting every single time..._she_ was the one for him.  
  
Lyserg let out a breath. Sometime after the professor disappeared outside to meet up with Jeanne, Caesar left him in the room, apparently to help his father. A minute or so after that, Sarah had checked up on him for a bit before she, too, headed downstairs to help out her cousin and uncle in convincing Sir Iron that they could be trusted. Now, it had been fifteen minutes ever since the whole family left him in the house, and he was getting increasingly nervous. Taking a deep, long breath, he extended his senses further, listening to the passel of voices outside. **  
  
**He recognized the professor's, Marco's...and of course, Jeanne's. He couldn't help but wince as he heard Sir Iron's deeply foreboding tone. And then, the loudest voice that he heard was Caesar's. Sometime later, Sarah's voice joined in the foray, making Lyserg extremely curious to what was going on. After several more minutes, though, just as he had resolved to peek out the window to see what was happening, he heard the soft rumble of a car engine, and as he cautiously peered outside, he heaved a soft sigh of relief as the vintage Ferrari of the Irons drove off and disappeared from his sight.  
  
He rushed immediately towards Caesar's dresser mirror, warily glancing at his reflection and wondering if he looked decent enough to go to the prom, play the piano, and, more importantly...to stand beside Jeanne.  
  
_...I definitely look terrified, that much is true_, he thought wryly, smiling nervously at his reflection. He straightened up his formal shirt a little, and then, he grabbed the pile of music sheets again and resumed studying them in an effort to calm his nerves as well as still the thundering of his heart. Even if he hadn't been there to look at the man personally, and even if he was quite older now than the first time he met Jeanne's father, Sir Iron still terrified him.  
  
The door swung open abruptly, startling him for half a second and making him drop the music sheets in the process. "Caesar, please don't scare me like that," he muttered, sighing as he bent down to pick up the music sheets from the floor and stacking them in their correct order.  
  
Caesar chuckled with amusement. "...That's an extreme case of nerves you've got."  
  
"Yeah." Lyserg looked up to find the redhead grinning wickedly at him. "What?"  
  
Caesar's grin widened with every passing second as he examined his friend from head to toe. "..._You're_ going to give me a run for my money, honestly," he remarked with amazement. "I mean, I KNOW I'm handsome, and Lord KNOWS I am, but YOU..." his voice trailed off, and he shook his head. "You are quite the STUD."  
  
Lyserg felt his face getting hot. He ran his hand self-consciously through his hair, turning away from his friend.  
  
Caesar rolled his eyes dryly and sighed with exasperation as he took the junior by the elbow. "Come on. There's someone downstairs who's been itching to see you." Then, with a broad grin, he added, "...and I'm pretty sure YOU'RE itching to see HER, too," he gave a small wink.  
  
Lyserg sighed with defeat as he allowed the redhead to drag him down the stairs. "...Ouch," he muttered as he tripped over the last step. He gave Caesar a disgruntled look.  
  
The redhead just continued to grin. "HEY JEANNE!" He shouted to the living room, "COME ON OVER HERE!"  
  
From behind them, George appeared, smiling as he pushed the two boys towards the living room. "I think it'd be better if you two go there. Sarah's giving Jeanne a re-touch."  
  
"Re-touch?" Lyserg and Caesar looked at each other blankly and shrugged.  
  
George chuckled. "Make-up, boys. Go on." The three of them walked towards the living room.  
  
As they walked, Lyserg could hear two voices talking and an occasional mewl--from his cat, no doubt. He wondered were Morphin was. His cat had an extreme fondness for beautiful and fine things; when she sees something she likes, she tends to stay attached to it for lengthy periods of time. Strangely enough, Morphin wasn't much fond of boys except for him.  
  
He couldn't help but smile as he heard Jeanne's soft, tinkling laugh. More than anything, it was _that_ which soothed his nerves and made him relax completely. _Everything is going to be fine._  
  
Due to influx of thoughts racing inside his head, he didn't even notice that they were already in the middle of the living room. In fact, he never would have moved from his position if George and Caesar hadn't given him one prod each on his back.  
  
A small swishing noise sounded as he settled his gaze somewhere on the sofa, where his cat was being cradled by none other than Jeanne herself.  
  
She had stood up immediately the minute she saw him. She was smiling at him with uncertainty, her cheeks slightly pink. The blushes on her face intensified as he continued to stare at her.  
  
Lyserg's jaw had dropped at the onset that he saw her. He couldn't quite believe what he was seeing.**  
  
**She was beautiful. He _knew_ she was beautiful, of course. She had always been beautiful. Drenched or no, falling from a chair or no, running from him or no, or whatever else she does...she was always, _always_ beautiful. Always.  
  
And yet...looking at her now, clad in that soft, silvery-white gown, her hair tied up in a simple but elegant braid on her head...and her face, with that wonderful, beautiful, melting smile of hers...if he died right now, he wouldn't have cared. If she was the angel that was sent to retrieve him from this earth, then death would be the greatest bliss he could ever taste...  
  
"Lyserg, my man, you're drooling. You do know that, right?" Caesar muttered, poking him at the back.  
  
Lyserg's brain seemed to snap back into focus at this. Forcing himself to tear his eyes from Jeanne, he shook his head, trying to regain his composure--the little that he had left, that is. He looked up and met Jeanne's eyes again. "...Sorry," he said, smiling apologetically.  
  
Jeanne's cheeks reddened even more as she shook her head, smiling slightly. "...You're here," she managed to say in a whisper.  
  
He chuckled. "Yeah," he eyed his cat curiously. Morphin gave him a soft mewl as she continued to purr enthusiastically in Jeanne's arms, apparently enjoying herself.  
  
Sarah sighed. "I was carrying her earlier, you know. But I think she likes Jeanne better than me," she told him, a slight note of teasing in her voice.  
  
Caesar patted Lyserg on the back as he laughed. "...At least we know where she gets it from, right, Lyserg?" He grinned knowingly, glancing back and forth in between Jeanne and Lyserg.  
  
"All right, all right, that's enough," George said, winking at Lyserg, a note of triumph in his voice, seeing that his plans to hook his favorite student up was succeeding. "...We should probably go."  
  
"HOLY CRAP! You're right, Dad," Caesar exclaimed as he looked up at the clock. "Goldbar's going to kill us if we're late--"  
  
"That's PRINCIPAL Goldbar, Caesar," his father corrected sternly.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Caesar waved his hand dismissively as he headed out. "...I hope Albert dropped off my stuff to the school gym already," he muttered, thinking of his older brother.  
  
"Don't worry, he called earlier. Everything's set. You're the only one missing," Sarah told her cousin as she finished fixing up Jeanne. She picked up her purse from the coffee table and nodded to Jeanne and Lyserg. "Let's go," she said with a smile.  
  
"Y...yes," Jeanne placed the cat down on the floor and glanced at Lyserg fleetingly.  
  
With a bright smile and a brief nod, he held out his arm to her. "Jeanne?"  
  
Resisting the urge to faint right then and there, she took the offered arm and the two of them walked out the door.  
  
Patting himself mentally on the back for his brilliance, George followed his son, his niece, and his two students, whistling cheerfully to himself.  
**  
  
**TSUZUKU.  
**  
  
Note:** The Silverbergs, Sarah, and Luc are NOT MINE and they NEVER will be. They are owned by Konami and the rest of the staff of Suikoden III. I am merely borrowing them and placing them in AU supporting roles. That's all. Thank you.  
  
_A/N_: Many thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed this fic. As usual, reactions/comments/criticisms/suggestions/etc. are always welcome. If anyone has a question, I'm just an email away. Thank you.


	15. Act III, Scene 2: Flowers, Pets, and Gro...

**Promenade  
by Apple-chan  
**  
Disclaimer: All I own is a pack of cookies and a pen.

Summary: Four couples, one perfect night...or is it? A 5-act tale on how four young men and four young women fall in love at the night of their Junior-Senior Prom. YXA, RXP, LXJ, and HXT.

-

**ACT III: Set. **

-

_SCENE 2: Flowers, Pets, and Ground Rules_.

-

Pilica folded her hands together and waited, trying hard to keep herself still as she sat in front of her dresser mirror, with her eyes closed. She could faintly make out the shuffling noises of four people around her, inside her room. Two of them were standing, and hovering over her like bees as they fixed her hair and worked on her makeup...the other two were somewhere around, probably near her bed. One of them was pacing repeatedly across the floor; the other, as indicated by the voices, was trying hard to make the other person stop pacing.

"I don't know why this has to take so long," her older brother's voice sounded lightly behind her-he was the one pacing across the room. "She doesn't need that much makeup, you know. And her hair is _fine_ the way it is!"

"Stop worrying," her mother's calm, soothing voice came next. "Ran-san and Jun-chan know perfectly well what they're doing. Your sister will be fine. Isn't that right?" She directed this question to the two women near her daughter.

"Quite right," Tao Ran answered cheerfully.

"But of course, Obachan!" This was Jun.

A small noise that distinctly sounded like a suppressed growl reached Pilica's ears. "WHY are you letting them do this, Kaasan?" There was a demanding note to Horo-horo's tone. "It's not like it's such a big _deal_ where she's going and _who_ she's going with-"

"Horo-horo..." her mother's voice began patiently, "if you would just calm down and listen to me a moment-"

Horo-horo went on as if he didn't hear her. "-I mean, she'll only be with REN, not the King of England, or the Pope, or the Emperor of Japan, or-"

His mother gave an exhale as she raised her voice. "Ran-san and Jun-chan are-"

"-Pontius Pilate, or Buddha, or God! I mean, Ren's like, not that _special_, he's just a _useless_ little _squirt_-"

"Hey!" Jun's voice interrupted. The absence of the bristles of the makeup brush on her face told Pilica that Jun was currently holding it in front of her brother. "You better watch what you're saying, Horo-horo-kun," she told him firmly, "or I might just forget that you're a guy, sit you forcibly in front of this dresser and work on _your_ pretty face after I'm done with your sister." She added warningly.

"...Fine!" Horo-horo said grudgingly. "Can't you just make this all quick? I have to go."

"You don't need to wait up for me, Oniichan. I'll be fine." Pilica spoke up.

"NO. I'm not leaving until you're done with..._that_," her brother's voice was laced with slight repulsion and disdain. Pilica knew that he was irked over the fact that she was taking so long in preparing for the prom. Well, it wasn't like she had much of a choice; it was very hard to refuse Ran and Jun especially since they were _this_ determined. "I'll have to talk to Ren first." An impatient sound. "He needs to get here soon."

"Talk to HIM? At this time?" Pilica wondered, exactly, what her brother intended to talk about with Ren during Prom night. Whatever it was, she knew it wasn't bound to be good...and whatever it was, she was absolutely certain that one of the main subjects of their conversation would be _her_. And knowing the both of them, it was most likely not going to be a positive thing.

"...Yeah. Is there a problem with that?"

"Yes there is," Pilica stated clearly. "Why do you need to talk to him?" If her brother and her...Ren-_niichan_ will be talking about her, she'd want to know why, and what they would be talking about.

A snort. "I don't need to tell you. That's between me and him."

"But-"

"Pilica. No more questions." Horo-horo's tone was stern.

The young girl was silent for a moment. She still had her eyes closed. Her brother was being bossy again. _And_ he was being mean to her again. "Oniichan, you're a meanie," she declared.

He merely laughed. "Thank you." Pilica would have rolled her eyes at the moment if they weren't closed. Her Oniichan and her Ren-niichan were so alike sometimes, it was scary.

"_Why_ can't you tell me?" She whined.

"_Because_ I don't want to." He stated in a tone that meant the subject matter was closed.

Jun gave an amused laugh. "I think Horo-kun wants to lay some ground rules upon my brother," she whispered to Pilica as she smoothed out some stray hairs from the girl's face. "You know, just in case Ren wants to try..._anything_ on you," there was a whole world of meaning in her tone that made the azure-haired girl blush in spite of herself.

If anyone asked Pilica right now how she was feeling, she probably wouldn't be able to answer. The word _terrified_ comes to mind, of course...but she was feeling much more than that at the moment. Confusion, fear, nervousness, excitement, anticipation, trepidation...they were all a garbled tangle inside her heart and mind. Every couple of seconds, she absently wondered which one of these feelings dominated over the others, but with all of them jumping inside her recurrently, it was very difficult.

The presence of Tao Ran and Tao Jun wasn't helping her situation much. Ever since the start of this whole thing, since Ren confirmed to Pilica that she was to be his date for the Prom and ever since his sister and mother found out about it, it was as if somebody had revved up the engine inside the mother-daughter tandem, making it run so smoothly, so efficiently and so rapidly that it appeared like they were in some kind of relay race, and Pilica was the central and most valuable object for the race.

It began that day when Pilica had assumed that Ren was trying to kidnap her, only to find out that his mother had requested her presence in order to take her measurements for her gown. The second part of the relay race was yet again another abduction courtesy of Ren, wherein Pilica found out once more that Ran had needed her to fit the gown for the final touches before it was finished.

The final and most vital part of the relay race had begun this afternoon, when out of the blue, the two Tao women appeared at the doorstep of the azure-haired young woman's house, with the large box of the finished gown in between them. Ran and Jun had stated that their last duty was to prepare Pilica for the long-awaited prom night. As they had stated, it was their task to "make Pilica-chan so beautiful that it would put Helen of Troy and the likes of her to shame." They had pushed Pilica inside the house then, stripping her clothes before fitting the gown on her, and then setting her in front of the dresser mirror and working on her face and her hair, which is what they had been doing for the past two hours.

Pilica had no idea what kind of relay race-if there really _was_ one-the two women were running, but she certainly found it strange to have two women fussing over her for hours on end, as if they had sworn that it was their sole duty to make her look her best for this night. Judging from the way they kept whispering Ren's name every so often, they were doing this for him...though why they were doing it for him, she had no idea. Ren considered taking her to the prom as a task he needed to accomplish, nothing more. She wondered if his sister and his mother knew that.

Briefly, she wondered if her influx of emotions had anything to do at all with Ren, or if it was just because of the prom in general, or the fact that this was the first time she was attending this kind of occasion...or the fact that she was going to be with Ren all through the night...

She let out a derisive snort. _Yeah, right. As if I'm looking forward to being with _him_. Nah-uh. Not at all._ At that instant, a picture of her and Ren dancing in the ballroom popped into her mind, and for some reason, her heart started pounding...

_BEEP! BEEP!_

"Well, it looks like Ren's here," Ran announced cheerfully.

Horo let out his breath with triumph. "Good. I'm gonna go talk to him. Hurry up with that," the sound of her brother's footsteps told her that he had retreated down the stairs.

"I'll be back in a bit, dear," Pilica's mother's footsteps followed Horo-horo's. "I just need to make sure your brother and Ren-kun don't kill each other." With a laugh in her voice, she walked out.

Pilica started to stand up, too...but both Ran and Jun held her in place. "Just a second, Pilica-chan. We're almost done." Patting her arm, Ran put the finishing touches of the makeup on her face. "..._There_."

"All right, Pilica-chan...you can open your eyes now," Jun's cheery voice told her.

Pilica gave a sigh of relief, opened her eyes...and gazed at herself in the mirror.

"...Wow." She breathed. As she stared at her reflection in the mirror, she caught Ran and Jun's admiring glances, and she couldn't help but blush.

"You're going to knock my son right off his feet," Ran said softly, smiling at her.

Jun nodded in agreement. "He's going to forget himself tonight, Hahaue."

Ran let out a snort. "For someone as arrogant as he is, that would be a nice change," she muttered dryly, a twinkle in her eye. "Well then," she clapped her hands together and gestured to Jun, then nodded to Pilica. "...Shall we go down?"

Suddenly finding herself unable to speak, Pilica managed a weak nod.

With a flourish, Operation Perfect Bridal Candidate mother-daughter tandem extraordinaire, a.k.a. Tao Ran and Tao Jun, straightened up, assisting Seeded Potential Perfect Bridal Candidate No. 1, a.k.a. Pilica, down the stairs to greet Groom in Question, a.k.a. Tao Ren.

-

"How much longer until we get there, Bason?"

"...Only three blocks more from here, Bocchama." The driver slash butler slash personal bodyguard of the Tao family answered with a bright smile, glancing briefly at the reflection of his passenger at the rearview mirror.

A pair of stunning golden eyes glared back at him. "Quit looking at me every five seconds and concentrate on the _road_."

"As you wish, Bocchama." Bason lowered his gaze and focused his eyes straight ahead, chuckling softly as he drove on.

"...You're laughing at me. _Don't_ laugh at me." Ren gazed out the window, a frown still hovering on his face.

"I wasn't laughing," Bason interjected.

"Hn." Ren flashed him another glare, but didn't reply. Having been around to take care of Ren ever since he was born, Bason was more of a second father to him than an actual servant. This kind of exchange between the two of them could be considered as normal, but under different circumstances, Bason's protest would have been labeled as disrespectful. As it is, Ren let the whole thing pass. The man teased him quite often; he was used to it.

"Are you nervous, Bocchama?" Bason glanced at him again after a few minutes.

Ren arched an eyebrow. "Nervous? ME?" A derisive snort. "Certainly not." As soon as he had spoken the words, though, the navy-haired young man sat up stiffly, straightening out his formal dark blue shirt as he let out a long breath.

"You look pretty confident," Bason commented, a hint of amusement lacing his voice.

His young master let out a noise that sounded distinctly like a growl. "Shut UP."

"It will be fine." The driver flashed him a confident, reassuring smile. "You'll be knocking her dead, Bocchama, I'm sure of it."

Ren suppressed an amused snort; the comment certainly calmed his nerves. "Knock her _dead_, yeah," he said wryly. "...Exactly what I'm aiming for." He glanced out the window again. "How much longer?"

The moment he asked that, their dark blue Mercedes screeched to a halt as Bason pulled over (honking the horn as he did so) in front of a small, white house with a fenced-in garden at the front. "We're here, Bocchama."

"About _time_." With a dignified and arrogant air, Ren brushed off the dust from his black slacks, and stepped out of the door that was opened for him. He gave the structure in front of him a long, appraising look. Then, reluctantly, he started towards the entrance steps, and approached the fence gate. "Well, here goes nothing." He placed his hand on top of the gate, preparing himself to open it. "I won't be long, Bason," he called out to his bodyguard. "I'm just going to drag her out of there and deposit her inside the car, and then we can be off-"

"Hold on a second, Bocchama!" Bason walked towards the back compartment of the car, opening it long enough to sweep into his arms what appeared to be its only contents before quickly closing it again.

He approached Ren, dropping a large bouquet and a small box into his arms. "Here, Bocchama. Ran-sama specifically instructed me to give these to you." He stepped away from his young master, smiling at him beatifically as he gestured to the objects.

"Eh?" Ren stared blankly at the bouquet and box in his arms. "What the _hell_ are these?"

"Flowers and corsage for Pilica-chama." His bodyguard answered brightly.

Ren wrinkled his nose and held out the flowers to Bason. "Uh-uh. No way. I'm not giving them to that _girl_," he shook his head, aversion written all over his face.

Bason pushed them back into his young master's arms. "Ran-sama said-"

Ren rolled his eyes to the sky. "All right, FINE." He whipped about grudgingly, opening the gate and stomping towards the front door before Bason could say anything more.

"Good luck, Bocchama!" Bason called out, but the navy-haired boy didn't seem to have heard him.

-

"Who the hell does she think I am, her SLAVE?" Ren was muttering under his breath as he walked. "I'm her GODDAMN SON, for GOD'S sake. She should be treating me better than THIS. Neesan should be treating me better than this. Why are they INSISTING on forcing me upon that GIRL?" He wondered darkly. "I don't LIKE her. She's TOO noisy, she's too loud, and she doesn't even respect m-" He stopped short in his tracks.

A fluffy, snowy-white puppy had situated itself around two steps from the front door, blocking his way entirely. The little dog was gazing up at him squarely...and in its deep, dark eyes were an expression of what was unmistakably a glare. A very, very, _very_ dark glare.

Ren looked up at the sky, then glanced back at the dog. Not to be outdone, he glared back. "...And what are _you_ supposed to be?"

The dog, being a dog, didn't answer. Instead, it let out a growl.

Ren laughed. "Oh, _right_," he said with mocking sarcasm. "Like that would scare ME." With a haughty sniff, he gave the dog a meaningful look. "Get out of my way."

The white puppy moved aside several inches, still pointedly glaring at him.

"Hmph." He smiled smugly and approached the door. Before he was able to push the doorbell, though, something tugged at the hem of his pants. With an irritated sigh he looked down...

...And found the snowy-white puppy chewing furiously at the right leg of his pants, its strong, sharp teeth tugging at the garment angrily. The puppy's dark eyes were still focused on him.

"What the HELL is your PROBLEM, you little RUNT!" He demanded from the dog, forcefully swinging his leg and tugging back at his pants.

The puppy merely growled and resumed tugging.

Ren let out a growl similar to the puppy's. "Let GO."

The puppy gave him a long, hard glare...and then it resumed tugging.

Ren realized that if he continued tugging back, he'd either end up with torn pants, or even worse..._without_ pants (the trousers were pretty loose on him). So, instead of tugging back once again, he tried a different tactic.

He waved the bouquet of flowers threateningly at the puppy. "...If you don't let go of my pants, I SWEAR, I'm gonna shove these flowers down your-"

Just then, the door swung open, breaking off the rest of Ren's threat.

"HAHAUE!" Surprise was very unmistakable in Ren's tone as he regarded his mother incredulously. "What the HELL are you doing HERE?"

"We were helping Pilica-chan get ready," Jun answered in behalf of her mother, her head popping in the doorway.

"...NEESAN!"

"REN." Jun greeted her younger brother cheerily, reaching over her mother's shoulder and pinching his cheek playfully. "You look SO handsome."

A surge of heat crawled up to his cheeks, but he shook it off, and rubbed his face with aggravation. "Don't treat me like a kid."

"Is that right?" His mother raised an eyebrow with amusement. "I was pretty sure that only little _kids_ pick a fight with _puppies_." She glanced pointedly at the snowy-white dog who was still currently tugging on Ren's pants.

Ren rolled his eyes. "It wasn't my fault," he muttered. "This RUNT started it." He pointed to the dog.

"Hey, don't go blaming all your dirt on Kuroro!" Horo-horo popped out at that moment, glaring witheringly at Ren. "She's a very decent, well-behaved little puppy-"

"Yeah, well your _well-behaved, decent little puppy_ is currently chewing on my pants," Ren retorted. "Tell him to BACK OFF, dammit. He's destroying my expensive made-to-order trousers from Milan-"

"That's probably YOUR fault." Horo-horo threw back. "You probably annoyed her or something. Not that I'm surprised."

"SHE was the one who glared at me FIRST!"

At the side of the door, Jun threw up her hands in the air. "I can't listen to this anymore, Hahaue," she muttered to her mother. "Pilica-chan, come along, take my idiot brother and make sure he-" she glanced around, only now noticing that Pilica was nowhere to be found. "Where'd she go? Pilica-chan?"

Except for the soft sound of footsteps clamoring up the stairs, and the slight swishing of fabric, there was no answer.

Jun sighed with exasperation. "Now look what you did, Ren. You scared her off." Shaking her head, she climbed up the stairs after Pilica.

Ren snorted. "Scared her off? ME? Like that's possible." Nodding respectfully at Horo-horo and Pilica's mother, who was standing near the top of the staircase, he stepped inside the house, with Kuroro the puppy still chewing at the heel of his pants. Annoyed, he waved his right leg in the air, having had just about enough of the puppy's tugging. "Let GO, you little-"

The puppy flew in the air with a small yelp, thankfully landing at a small cushioned rug near the living room couch. Whimpering slightly, Kuroro the puppy ran towards Horo-horo, and haughtily glared at Ren as she was cradled in her master's arms.

"You'll pay for that, Ren." Horo-horo flashed him a glare similar to his pet's.

"Hn. Try me." Ren merely smirked.

"You know what? Maybe I will."

A snort. "Oh, right. Like you'll ever win against _me_."

"I'll have my day."

"Feh. You _wish_."

"All right, ENOUGH of that," Ran shouted with impatience, flashing her son a meaningful look. She glanced at the staircase. "Pilica-chan!"

"I've got her, Hahaue!" Jun called out to her mother cheerfully as she descended the steps.

"Come on down, Pilica-chan..." Ran said soothingly, giving her son a warning look that said, "behave or else."

Ren shrugged indifferently, wanting to cross his arms over his chest, but as he was currently holding flowers, he settled to leaning against the wall near the stairs and looking up at the ceiling with boredom. "Hahaue, if she doesn't come down in _ten seconds_, I'm leaving." And then, he muttered under his breath, "...I'm not going to wait for her like she's some kind of PRINCESS."

Apparently, Pilica heard that, because at that instant, she had rushed down the stairs and stood in front of him with her hands on her hips. "No one asked you to wait for me, you MEANIE." A furious glare was radiating all over her beautiful face. "And I didn't ask you to pick me UP! Honestly, we could have met each other at the party. I don't know _why_ you're even here. If you didn't want to pick me up then WHY didn't you say SO?"

"Well, it wasn't like I HAD a choice," Ren threw back. "They," he gestured to his mother and sister, "_insisted_ on it." And then, he shoved the bouquet of flowers into her arms. "Here. Flowers for you, PRINCESS," there was a note of mockery in his tone. He smirked, gazing at her from head to toe.

Pilica blushed, but whether it was because of the flowers or because of the pair golden eyes that was intently surveying her form, she wasn't sure. "Thank you. Noble SQUIRE," she shot back with a triumphant smile.

"Hmph." Ren was still smirking. Come to think of it, he rather enjoyed bantering with her like this. At least she gave out smarter comments than her brother. Of course, it didn't hurt that she was nicer to look at, especially now. Clothes can make a whole lot of changes, he decided. A simple pink strapless silk dress can do a whole world of wonders, and turn a whiny, bratty, noisy little girl into a princess. Not just any kind of princess, mind you, but the most beautiful one.

And with her hair fixed like that, piled atop her head, and her dark blue eyes shining so beautifully, with her cheeks slightly pink, and growing darker and darker as the time passed-

It was only at that moment when Ren realized something-he was _staring_ at her. In fact, he had been staring at her for the past couple of minutes.

...And she had been staring right back.

Still, there was silence. A long silence.

A high-pitched bark brought everyone back to their senses. Kuroro, who was resting leisurely and loosely in Horo-horo's arms suddenly jumped-directly into Pilica's arms and in the bouquet of flowers she was holding. Instead of looking at her, though, it bared its little teeth at Ren, growling and glaring at him.

Having recovered from staring at Pilica (which was just as well; if Horo-horo had noticed it, there would have been trouble), Ren glared back. "You're really getting annoying, you know that?" He snarled.

Kuroro gave him a loud, sharp bark.

"Hn. You don't like me, eh? Don't worry, I feel the same way." Ren smirked at the dog.

Jun rolled her eyes. "I feel sorry for Pilica-chan, Hahaue. She'll be stuck with an idiotic Ren for one whole night," she whispered to her mother.

"Don't worry, it'll work out." Ran whispered back, winking furtively at Pilica, who had given the slightly smashed bouquet to her mother (along with Kuroro the puppy).

"Well, then. We should go." Ren announced in a commanding tone. He took Pilica by the arm and pulled her along. "I'll see you at home later, Hahaue, Neesan," he glared at the two of them. "Horo-horo," he arched an eyebrow at his friend.

"Wait a minute!" Jun and Horo-horo said at the same time.

Ren exhaled. "What now?"

"You forgot the corsage," Jun informed him.

"You forgot my GROUND RULES!" Horo-horo shouted at him.

"Eh?" Ren gave them both a blank look.

"THIS," Jun snatched the small box Ren was still holding, plucked the flower inside, and waved it in front of his face. "You're gonna pin this on Pilica-chan's dress."

"Oh." Ren rolled his eyes. "Right." Taking the flower from his sister, he positioned in front of Pilica, his brows slightly furrowed. Then, raising the corsage like a weapon, he said, "Okay, here goes..."

"I'll take that." Horo-horo was between him and Pilica in an instant. He had taken the corsage from Ren's hand, glaring at him before facing his sister. In a matter of seconds, he had the corsage pinned to her dress. "There." He gave Ren a look that said he wasn't about to let Ren have any chance to touch his sister in certain places where she shouldn't be touched.

"Gee, _thanks_," Ren told him with sarcasm. "Now if you'll excuse us, we have to-"

"Hold on a minute!" Ren looked up at the ceiling with annoyance, before giving Horo-horo another look. "I haven't given you my ground rules."

Ren let out another sigh. "Oh, right. Your GROUND RULES." He groaned inwardly.

Pilica rolled her eyes. "Oniichan-"

"Number ONE: You are not allowed to hold her hand..." Horo-horo began.

"You mean like THIS?" Ren grabbed Pilica's left hand, twirling their fingers together amidst the girl's blushing struggle and showing it to Horo-horo.

The azure-haired senior growled. "Number TWO," he said in between gritted teeth, "You have to be home by...seven."

"Well, gee...that means I can't take her to the prom anymore, since it's, oh, I don't know...SEVEN?"

Horo-horo glared at him. "Scratch that, then. Just make sure she's home before...before _I_ am. Okay?"

Ren shrugged. "Sure. What time do you intend to go home?"

"That's none of your business."

Ren smirked. "If you say so..."

"Fine, FINE. Just get her home by midnight," he said grudgingly. "...Number THREE: If I see you touching her in an improper way, I'll kill you."

Ren shrugged, then casually draped his arm around Pilica's shoulders, making her face go beet-red. "Whatever."

Horo-horo now looked as if he wanted to punch Ren to death. "Number FOUR: You are not allowed to KISS her. At ALL. Not even for goodnight."

Ren leaned over, planting a quick kiss to Pilica's cheek. She blushed even harder. "Like that, you mean?" He gave his friend a cheeky grin.

This time, Horo-horo made a move to launch himself at Ren-

"Oniichan, it's five past seven," Pilica informed him hastily, flashing an irritated look at Ren. "You need to pick up Tamao-neesan, remember?"

Horo-horo glanced at the clock with alarm. "CRAP," he muttered. "Consider yourself lucky I have to leave, Tao." He growled at Ren as he grabbed his coat. "See you, Kaasan, Jun-san, Ran-Obasan...Ren, I'll deal with you later!" He practically flew out of the door.

"See you at the prom!" Ren waved mockingly at his friend. Then, he turned to Pilica. "Well then, princess...shall we go?"

Pilica was still blushing, but she managed a dark glare. "Meanie."

Ren gave a mocking bow. "Thank you."

With another irritated sigh, Pilica stomped on his foot, fuming as she stormed out of the house.

"Well, we're going." Nodding one last time at his mother, his sister, and at Pilica and Horo-horo's mother, Ren crossed his arms over his chest and followed Pilica, an amused smile on his face. "Hey, you! Wait for me!"

Inside the house, the three women regarded each other thoughtfully.

Jun sighed. "I hope Ren behaves himself."

Ran laughed. "He'd better." Then, she turned to Pilica and Horo's mother. "Your daughter and my son get along so well, don't you think?"

Before she can answer, a loud shout was heard from outside.

"You are very, very, very MEAN, and-"

"I'll take that as a compliment!"

"-I HATE YOU!"

An amused laugh. "Right. I'm sure you do." Then a loud bark sounded; Kuroro, it seems, had found her way out of the house again. "...Ouch. Not _you_ AGAIN. Leave my pants ALONE, you RUNT!"

"Well, it serves you right! Good girl, Kuroro."

"...Now WHO'S the meanie?"

-

TSUZUKU.

-

_A/N_: After such a long time, I was finally able to update this.:sigh: Thanks for the patient wait, everyone. The next chapter will be coming along soon, hopefully.) Oh, and reviews will be very much appreciated!


	16. Act III, Scene 3: The Secret Guide to Ta

**Promenade  
by Apple-chan  
**  
_Disclaimer_: Not mine. Not _yours_ either, so…why are we talking about this?  
_Summary_: Four couples, one perfect night...or is it? A 5-act tale on how four young men and four young women fall in love at the night of their Junior-Senior Prom. YXA, RXP, LXJ, and HXT.  
_Scene Notes_: YohxAnna, dedicated to all you fans who have been waiting for it.:) Hope you like this one.  
-

**ACT III: Set.  
- **

_SCENE 3: The Secret Guide to Taming the Ice Queen_.

-

"Hm," Asakura Hao tossed his long hair back and smirked at his reflection in the mirror, the way he usually did each and every time he got ready for a date. Of course, normally he only went out with one person at a time, but in this case, he had a passel of dates. Not that he could've help that, but…well, it makes sense to do it several more times, right? Just to check. Just to make sure that he had all his bases covered…

So Hao continued, tossing his hair this way and that, smirking at his reflection this way and that, and basically making a fool of himself. In fact, if he had been doing this sort of thing in public, he'd be wholeheartedly humiliated by now, but…as it was, with the exception of his younger twin brother, he was alone in the room. And since that was the case, he only looked mildly stupid. Then again, it's not like anyone would ever have the nerve to say "you look stupid" right to Asakura Hao's face.

Meanwhile, Asakura Yoh, otherwise known as the aforementioned younger twin brother, was just…sitting right _there_, at a chair beside the full-length mirror in the twins' room, where Hao was currently standing. He was dressed in a black tuxedo and dark slacks, similar to the one his older twin was wearing. Note briefly that the clothes these twins are wearing were made-to-order, were created using the finest fabric in Japan, and…were hand-crafted where it was necessary. Which is another way of saying they were expensive as hell—not that it mattered much to the one who bought them.

Anyway, unlike Hao, who was in high spirits, Yoh was…it was hard to tell what he was feeling, exactly. He was looking gloomy, to be sure, but he was also tapping his foot impatiently and running his hands over his hair nervously. Occasionally he would crack a smile at his brother's antics, and sometimes he could also be heard sighing deeply. You might say he was feeling…a lot of things.

Hao rolled his eyes at the way his brother was acting. He of course, noticed this strange behavior, but Hao being Hao, chose to ignore it earlier, partly for the benefit of his own sanity, and _mostly_ because at that time, he considered fixing his hair and straightening out his clothes and looking good more important than life itself. But anyway, now that he was just about finished primp—er, _preparing_, he was ready to offer his services for the benefit of his younger twin's current dilemma which in Yoh's point of view, was more important than life itself. Hao slapped his brother on the head. "Pull yourself _together_, for god's sake."

The slap on the head would have been enough, but since this is Hao, he found it necessary to make a half-assed comment. Yoh rubbed his head, then flashed his brother a wounded look. "I'm _trying_, okay? Leave me alone." The reply had been briefly muttered in a very un-Yoh like way.

Hao's eyes widened slightly at the sharpness and the silence in his brother's voice. He was aware of Yoh's feelings, certainly…but he didn't think the problem was _that_ severe for him to be acting like this. "Don't take that tone with me. I'm your older brother," he paused, "…and I'm trying to fix you—"

"Why are you trying to fix me? I'm not…" Yoh paused, searching for the right words, "—I'm not _broken_! I'm _whole_! I'm—"

"You're taking me _literally_," Hao interrupted impatiently. "Just stand up and let me look you over. I mean, we haven't even stepped out of this house and you already look like hell. Stand up," he instructed in a harder, no-excuses tone. "…And stop panicking. There's _nothing_ to be afraid of."

"Yes there is," Yoh muttered, but stood up anyway. He stiffened slightly as his twin began to run his hands swiftly all over the fabric of his clothes in an effort to straighten them up. Occasionally, Hao would also pat the fabric sideways and that way. He was vain to the point that he couldn't get enough of it. Often enough, he turned to his brother. And as he considered Yoh to be an extension of himself, he usually ministered the same attention that he gave to himself to Yoh. Which, if you know Hao, cannot be taken lightly. He would go as far as to even _hurt_ himself just for the sake of preserving his beauty. Yoh was included in _that_ too, for obvious reasons.

When Hao was finished with him, certain parts of his body actually _stung_. What in the world was the point of all those _pats_, anyway?

"I was dusting off your clothes," Hao answered dryly, as if reading his mind. Which he probably was. "Even though we've only been wearing these things for a few minutes you've done a very good job of soiling them. _Expensive tuxedos_, all right? Don't forget that."

"But I never—"

"—asked for it. I know," Hao replied. "But think about it. Without these clothes, you wouldn't have the _courage_ to go through tonight at _all_." Exhale. "Turn around and let me fix your hair." A stern look. "And don't you dare tell me your hair doesn't _need_ fixing. Now _turn_."

Yoh obeyed meekly, bracing himself for his brother's painful hand. He wanted to say that the clothes had absolutely _nothing_ to do with gaining courage, no matter how much they cost, but thought better of it. It was hopeless, anyway. He and Anna weren't on the best of terms at the moment, and considering how many times he had failed to gain Anna's forgiveness every single time she got angry with him in the past, he wouldn't be surprised if he failed _this_ time, too. Considering everything that he had been caught doing—or _not_ doing—during the past few weeks, gaining her forgiveness was probably an impossible dream. _Among other things._ He gave a long, deep sigh.

A hard, painful tug on his hair broke his train of thoughts. "Ow! Oniichan!" Yoh did not usually glare, and especially not at his twin…but this time, Hao was going a little bit too far.

"Otouto…" He received an identical glare in response. "Stop being so goddamn _negative_. You're ruining all my hard work, dammit."

"_Stop_ swearing." Yoh wondered if Hao was catching his mood, or if he was just being a prick on purpose… "_Ow_! Stop that!"

"_I'm_ being a prick? You're the one acting like a little _kid_."

Yoh pouted. "_Stop_ reading my mind."

"I _will_ if you behave yourself." A stern look.

Yoh nodded. "I'll behave." He mumbled.

"…And quit that _pessimistic_ thinking. It won't do you any good."

"…"

"You know, one of these days she's going to have to forgive you. I mean, she can't stay angry at you for too long; we _all_ know that." Hao sighed, sweeping Yoh's hair out of his face with a comb. "And what better time to get her to forgive you than _tonight_?" A grin.

"…"

"Since I'm experienced when it comes to _this_ sort of thing, I can give you some tips…"

"…"

"I can think of several _things_ you can do that she won't be able to resist…"

"…"

"And who knows? _Maybe_ after tonight, _you'll_ be able to call yourself a _real man_." A wink.

"…Oniichan, what in the _world_ are you thinking of?" Yoh could feel a tremendous amount of heat crawling up his cheeks as he finally blurted out a reply. How could he not? Just what in the _name_ of Heaven and Hell is his brother _thinking_, saying that? Giving tips is one thing, but implying…_implying_ something like _that_ is…God, he hadn't even gone as far as _kissing_ her in his imagination…

Hao laughed. Very loudly. "Dear _God_," he gasped, "…not even _kissing_? Otouto, you are a _prude_."

"…am not a prude." Yoh mumbled, shaking off his head as his brother applied…hair wax to his hair. Like the combing wasn't enough. "I…just don't think about those kinds of things…"

"But you look in on her when she's taking a _bath_. Yeah _right_, Yoh. I see your point." Hao raised a disbelieving eyebrow at him.

"T…that was an _accident_! I never meant to—"

"I know." An arrogant grin. "I was just teasing you. Anyway," Hao twirled Yoh' hair with his fingers, trying to figure out a way to fix it properly, "you're lucky you have me, you little prude." He paused thoughtfully. "Like I said earlier, I have some ideas."

"On what?" Yoh gave his brother a suspicious frown. Currently, he was wondering exactly how much experience his brother had when it comes to _that_…

"A lot, Yoh. A whole LOT," Hao replied swiftly, fixing the final touches on Yoh's hair. "Don't ask me for a specific number, because _I don't know_. I've lost count." A shrug. "…There!" Patting Yoh's head one final time, he smiled with satisfaction at his handiwork. "You're all set, Yoh." His brother was staring at him in shock. "_What_?"

"A LOT?" Yoh croaked. "And you've lost COUNT?" He wondered if he was going out of his mind. They were supposed to be _twins_, and yet…how come he never knew about _this_?

"Because I never told you. Because it wasn't the right time," Hao replied matter-of-factly, still admiring his handiwork. "You look _good_. I've outdone myself this time," he sounded very pleased with himself. "Anyway, you have…oh, about five minutes before _she_ starts banging on the door, and we don't want that happening so I'm going to make this quick." A wide, evil grin. "Let me give you some tips on how to tame the Ice Queen."

Yoh felt his face losing blood. _Tame the Ice Queen? What on earth…? _"Oniichan?" He really, really, _really_ hoped to God none of these "tips" had anything to do with…with…

Actually, now that he thought about it, he's never even held her _hand_, has he? Not even once.

This time, Hao's burst of laughter echoed very loudly in his ears. "…If we were Christian, you'd have been _sainted_ by now," he shook his head. "…And I'd have been sent to _Hell_. Anyway," he clapped his hands firmly on Yoh's shoulders, "just _listen_ to me carefully, okay? If you want Ice Queen to forgive you, if you want to be able to…" he bit back a laugh, "hold her hand for the rest of your life, and by _God_ if you want to get _somewhere_ with her _tonight_, you're gonna have to do what I tell you. Okay?" He gazed at his brother's face seriously.

Yoh was staring right back at him. "Somewhere?" He knew for sure he'd heard that before. As to where it was referring to, he wasn't exactly sure. Well, he _did_ have some ideas, and he really hoped it wasn't referring to…_that_, because like Hell, he's not even sure if he's ready for _that_ yet…

And…it wasn't like Anna would even let him get _there_…would she?

Hao rolled his eyes. "_Somewhere_ refers to that _place_ where every male human being wants to go…except maybe for _you_, Otouto. When it comes to you, _somewhere_ doesn't exactly refer to _that_," he added with a meaningful look. And he didn't have to add, "because you're a prude, and you're never going to get _there_. Not on your own."

Yoh felt slightly insulted, but it wasn't like he could have said anything in his defense. His twin _did_ have a point. Perhaps…perhaps he really could use a bit of those "tips" Hao was offering. Granted, it may not lead him to that…that _somewhere_, but hey, it could at least get him _someplace_. Maybe somewhere near that _somewhere_, if he's lucky…

Okay, now he was getting confused. Just where in the world is that _somewhere_, anyway?

His twin exhaled loudly. "There's no point in you thinking about it that much, Yoh. Once you get _there_, you'll _know_ where that _somewhere_ is. Believe me." He nodded emphatically. "Now are you going to listen to me or not?"

Yoh's brain was reeling slightly. Once he gets there? How was he going to know where that _somewhere_ is when he haven't even been there? Nevertheless, he gave a reply that was somewhere between a "yes" and a "no."

Hao fought very hard to keep a straight face. "Good enough." He smiled with satisfaction. "You can't go wrong with this, I promise. Now, listen closely…"

-

Kyouyama Anna tossed her long, golden hair over her shoulder, frowning at her reflection critically as she ran a brush one last time through her hair. She hardly ever gave herself a chance to be vain, for she considered that to be a waste of time, but…tonight was an exception. Tonight, she had to look at least halfway decent—_not_ because there was someone she needed to please, but because she was the _Head_ of the Prom Committee. It only made sense that she made herself look respectable. This was far too _important_ to take lightly…

She sighed. _Who am I kidding?_ She slapped her hands against her forehead. She would never, ever admit it out loud…but another more special reason why she was being extra careful making herself look…at least a little bit _pretty_ was _him_. Yoh.

She didn't know why, of course. It just felt…_necessary_ to do this for him, somehow. Even though he was nothing but a burden and annoyance to her most of the time, he at least gave her a purpose, and she was happy for that, if nothing else.

Not that any of that decreases the current degree of her anger towards him right now—no sir, _definitely_ not. Her patience with him had worn so _thin_ that it was almost at its breaking point. Granted, it was usually like this, and plenty of times she wondered _how_ he was able to cause her to be like this and yet…she had never snapped, not when it was just him. He could wear her patience so thinly, and yet…he was also the one who could make her calm down the easiest, the fastest, and the _best_.

She didn't know what it was, but there was _something_ about him—something that affected her so much, and so strongly.

She gave a sigh of frustration, tugging the brush forcefully through her hair. One last time. _This time really is the last_, she promised herself.

…_Yeah right._ A minute later, she found herself still running the brush continuously through her hair.

Another sigh. _Just what in the hell is wrong with me? _Out of fear of losing her hair, she tossed the brush aside and concentrated on straightening the folds of her handmade dress. She didn't look too bad, all things considered. Granted, she would never become the prettiest girl in this planet, but at least she looked…decent enough to pass for a human, and not as the "ice-queen-ice-monster" that that insufferable Hao always called her. She just hoped Yoh would appreciate all this.

_He'd better appreciate it, _she thought darkly. _He'd better._

_If he doesn't, I'll…I'll kill him._

-

She met up with her cousin Tamao as she stepped out of the room they shared. Her cousin just came out fresh from the bathroom, having chosen to finish her Prom preparations inside. Even though Anna had offered, Tamao had insisted that she could fix her hair and her clothes by herself, so she relented. She didn't want to patronize her younger cousin too much, anyway. Not after Tamao's last complaint. The pink-haired girl had a point, anyway—she was old enough to do these things on her own, so Anna let her.

The one thing—the _only_ thing—that Anna is still bothered about, however, is that sorry _excuse_ for a man that Tamao called her sempai, Horohoro. Although he was Yoh's friend, Anna really wasn't much fond of the guy…and Tamao's _over fondness_ for him only added to her worries. For Anna, her cousin liking _Yoh_ was _one_ thing—for he _did_ have his good qualities, but…_tha_t guy—that _guy_ was quite another. If there was someone she trusted the least with her cousin, it would be _that_ Horohoro.

Why, if she had her way about it, she would much rather chose _Hao_ over him.

Anna grimaced. _On second thought, maybe not._ Tamao was quite fond of Hao, too, for some reason. Why her cousin held so much fondness for the long-haired menace is beyond the blonde's thinking, but…there it was.

Not that this is really the point. The point is that currently, Tamao was examining her as closely as she was examining her cousin. Which is to say, they were looking at each other, scrutinizing every inch of each other quite closely.

What had made Anna think of Horohoro in the first place was that _dress_. The dress that Tamao was wearing—that made-to-order sea-green chiffon, bought especially by Horohoro's mother. That fact alone made her suspicious…was Horohoro and his family buying her cousin or what?

She wasn't going to ask this out loud, of course. It would hurt Tamao's feelings, for sure…so for the moment, Anna kept that thought private, and forced herself instead to think of the fact that…somehow, if she Tamao stood together, they looked like Christmas dolls—one red, and the other, green.

A smile was forming on Tamao's lips. She wondered if her cousin was thinking of the same thing.

Anna allowed herself a small smile for the pink-haired girl's benefit. "Christmas dolls, you and me," she said, gesturing to their dresses.

Tamao let out a demure giggle. Anna fought the urge to wrap her cousin in a hug…and consoled herself by mentally cursing instead. _Damn._ Her cousin was far, far too innocent and trusting to be left in the dirty hands of that Horohoro. _Who knows what that guy is capable of? If he gets her alone, who knows what he can do? I really don't trust him._

…_That's it. _Right then and there, Anna resolved that she would keep an eye on her cousin. At every hour, every minute, and every second of the Prom. She was _not_ going to let that Horohoro take advantage of her cousin in _any_ way.

"Anna-neechan?" Tamao was waving a hand in front of her face and looking concerned.

Anna wiped the frown that had materialized on her face and plastered on her happiest smile. "Are you ready to go?"

Tamao nodded, smiling brightly. "Horo-sempai said he'll pick me up."

_Not _him _again._ Anna resisted the urge to groan. "Right," she said. "I see. Then I'll wait until he gets here, and then I'll go with you two—"

"You don't have to do that," her cousin interrupted cheerfully. "I can wait for Horo-sempai by myself. And besides," she added, "aren't you going with Yoh-niisan?"

_Oh yeah._ "…Right," she slapped her hands on her forehead, sighing with exhaustion. All this thinking was making her tired. "Speaking of that idiot," she walked towards the living room, with Tamao trailing behind her, "you know where he is?"

"With Hao-niisan," Tamao replied. "They should be coming out any—oh, here they are!"

"Sorry for making you wait!" Hao chirped, walking breezily towards the front and swiftly overtaking both Tamao and Anna. "By the way, you'll need transportation…right, Yoh?"

"Um," Yoh walked slightly more slowly behind his brother, pausing to smile at Tamao, and then swallowing nervously as he paused in front of Anna. She could practically feel him cowering against her gaze.

She almost rolled her eyes. _Honestly, what is he so afraid of?_ Often enough, when they were together, Yoh wore _that_ kind of face. Half of her was getting really annoyed—it wasn't like she was going to _eat_ him, really. At the same time, another part of her was…strangely amused—_endeared_, even—by this kind of behavior.

Hao raised an eyebrow, looking back and forth in between Yoh and Anna...and waved his hands nonchalantly after Yoh's indecisive answer. "Never mind. I'm letting you borrow this, anyway." He slapped his hand meaningfully on top of Spirit of Fire, which had somehow or other materialized in the front porch of the house without notice. "Take good care of it, okay?" He said this one particularly to Anna.

The blonde raised an eyebrow in response. She wasn't too thrilled about riding a motorcycle, never mind accepting any of Hao's offers, but…Yoh's cowering, nervous stares unnerved her. She wanted to leave as soon as possible, if only to stop him from staring at her like that. _The unfazed, expressionless, stern Kyouyama Anna was being thrown off-balance by a nervous, apprehensive stare._ She found it ironic, somehow.

"Okay then," Hao clapped his hands together, smiling brightly at both Anna and Yoh, and winking at Tamao, "have lots of fun, you two."

Anna gave Hao a look. "I'm driving," she announced. "Okay?"

"I expected as much," the long-haired Asakura said wryly. Then, he leaned forward to Yoh, and whispered, "good luck." He gave his brother a pat on the back and pushed him towards the motorcycle.

Yoh coughed, stumbled forward, coughed again, and then stumbled and fell…directly into Anna.

She slapped a hand across his face. "Watch where you're going to fall," she warned him with a piercing glare, lifting one of the helmets and forcefully slapping it on his head. She did the same with the other helmet, on her head. Then, raising her skirts up, she stepped up onto Spirit of Fire. "Hmph. Hey, what are you waiting for? Get ON."

"Uh…hai!" Yoh nodded vigorously, then subsequently jumped into the back of the motorcycle, and…wrapped his arms around Anna's waist.

Hao, who had been watching all this, laughed heartily. "Good _one_, Otouto." He said with amusement. "…Now, _that's_ what I call getting _somewhere_."

Anna glared at him coldly, still visible beneath the helmet. "Shut up."

The long-haired twin just gave her a sweet smile in response. "I'll say goodbye to the old man and the grandparents for you." Then, he said in a louder tone, "Get going, Spirit of Fire!"

As if automatically obeying Hao's orders, Spirit of Fire the motorcycle's engine roared.

Yoh jumped up, startled, his arms unconsciously latching more tightly around Anna's waist. "S…sorry!" he gasped nervously.

Anna could feel the vein about to pop on her forehead. Because of Yoh. _Again_. "Better watch where put those _hands_ of yours," she said viciously as she revved up the motorcycle engine, "or I _swear_, I will _kill_ you."

Yoh let out a noise that sounded distinctly like an "eep!" followed by a soft mumble of apology. Or not.

Near them, Hao was still laughing. "We'll see you later, you two. Now, _onward_!" He made a gesture that made him look strangely like a…long-haired superman. "Go!"

As Spirit of Fire sped up towards the road, farther and farther away from the vicinity of the Asakura Estate, Anna heard her cousin's voice calling out. "I'll see you later, Anna-neechan!" This was followed by a slightly softer, "…and you too, Yoh-niisan…" A voice laced with sadness, and longing.

"Hey…Anna?" Yoh was saying something to her over the noise of the motorcycle engine.

"_What?_" She shouted.

"You look…umm…"

"WHAT? SPIT IT OUT!" Impatient. She was very impatient. She _needed_ to concentrate on driving the stupid motorcycle _and_ as well as the road and he _knew_ that, so why in the world has Yoh suddenly chosen this time to—

"YOU LOOK REALLY BEAUTIFUL TONIGHT!"

The motorcycle swerved slightly. Of all the things to tell her while she was driving, it has to be _that_. Anna could feel the heat crawling up her cheeks. _Those_ kinds of comment were distracting, _especially_ coming from Yoh.

_Well, on the brighter side_, her conscience commented cheerfully, _at least he appreciates all your hard work. All that hair-brushing and those sleepless nights you spent finishing the dress paid off, right?_

_Mmmph. You've got a point there. _"Thank you," Anna muttered.

"…WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

She sighed. "I _said_, THANK YOU!"

"Oh…_OH!_ Well," she could feel him smiling right behind her, "…YOU'RE WELCOME."

-

TSUZUKU.

-

_Author's Notes:_

Finally, an _update_:) Considering how long I've been out of the SK fanfic scene, I'm very pleased at the way this chapter has turned out. I hope you are, too.:) Comments, reactions, suggestions and whatever type of reviews you can give me are very much appreciated. If you like or hate this chapter, please don't hesitate to tell me!

For other comments, suggestions, lengthy discussions or anything off-topic from this fic that you might want to tell me, emailing me would be the best way to go about it. Commenting on my fanfic journal up at LJ is also fine. Both are the best, and they get the quickest replies, too.;) My email and the URL for my fic journal can both be found on my profile page. I recommend checking it out, since I make it a point to update that thing each and every time I post or update a fanfic.

Lastly, for those of you who are desperately searching for beta-readers and can't find one, I recommend checking out the Owaranai Monogatari Community at LJ. You can join the community and either post a fanfic or contact one of the serving beta-readers to ask for their help. I guarantee you that these beta-readers are very reliable.:) _I'm_ the only exception, heh.:) The link for this community can be found up at my profile, too.

Thanks for reading, and watch out for the next chapter sometime in March. I will try to get it out sooner if I can.:)


	17. Act III, Scene 4: The Worst Kind of Luck

**Promenade  
by Apple-chan  
**  
_Disclaimer_: (you know, witty remarks and such)  
_Summary_: Four couples, one perfect night...or is it? A 5-act tale on how four young men and four young women fall in love at the night of their Junior-Senior Prom. YXA, RXP, LXJ, and HXT.  
_Scene Notes_: Something along the lines of HoroxTamao.  
_Warnings_: Hao's appearance and eventual takeover of this particular scene. As if you didn't know.(sigh)  
_Note: _Huzzah to you if you're still reading this. It means you're more dedicated than I am. Heh.:)  
-

**ACT III: Set.  
- **

_SCENE 4: The Worst Kind of Luck_.

-

"I'm bored," Hao announced, yawning for the fifteenth time that night since Yoh and Anna left. He stretched his arms for a bit and leaned more comfortably against the pillar near the staircase at the front porch of the Asakura home. Fifteen minutes have passed since his twin and Anna had left, as indicated by the number of times he has yawned. This basically means that the long-haired Asakura yawns once every minute—most likely on purpose, just to give his companion a heads-up.

Said companion happens to be Tamamura Tamao. Currently, she was on the front porch right beside Hao, on a chair that the he had thoughtfully provided for her (he was not about to allow a young lady in a dress to sit on a dirty front porch, thank you very much). The exact time at the present moment was twenty past seven—fifteen minutes since Yoh and Anna had left, and around forty minutes before the Prom officially starts.

Tamao flashed Hao an apologetic look, glanced at her watch, then folded her hands together and let out a sigh. "You don't really have to wait with me, Hao-niisan," she said quietly. "You can go ahead; I don't mind waiting for Horo-sempai alone…"

Hao leaned over and patted her head gently. "I'm not going anywhere," he said firmly. "…Not until I see you off safely. I don't care how long it takes him to get here. Actually," he cracked his knuckles, "if he takes TOO long, I'm going to give him a piece of my mind."

Tamao stared at his knuckles for a moment, then looked up at him. "You don't need to use your hands if you want to give him a piece of your mind."

"On the contrary," he flashed her a wicked grin. "Once he gets here, I'm going to have a hell of a lot of fun with him…." He gave a laugh that sounded so demonic, even _he_ was impressed.

Tamao wasn't, however. "Hao-niisan…"

Hao sighed. "Yeah, I know. I'm just bored." He gave another yawn, just to prove his point. "Give me something to do, quick."

"Try combing your hair again," she suggested.

He shook his head. "That'd put me to sleep, for sure." He glanced at his watch. "Just what time does Horo-kun intend to get here, anyway?"

"I don't know," Tamao glanced at the gates, watching keenly to see if anyone was approaching. "He said seven, but…he probably won't leave until he sees Pilica-chan off safely, and knowing Horo-sempai, he'd have a lot of things to say to Ren-kun before he'd let them leave…"

"…Not that it would help them any, of course," Hao added dryly.

"Maybe not, but..." she paused. Try as she might, it wasn't that easy to defend any of the things that Horohoro did, especially since they tended to border on unreasonable or exaggerated most of the time. "He means well, you know. It's just that his methods are sometimes—"

"—Stupid?" Hao supplied. "Foolish? Brainless? Idiotic? Or maybe—"

"Questionable," Tamao said, raising her voice slightly while giving him a warning look—a rare thing for someone of her demeanor. Maybe she couldn't defend the things that Horohoro does, but…she could at least defend his name, even just a tiny bit. "It's because he usually acts on instinct instead of thinking things over first. So everything he does are usually—"

"—Outrageous?" Hao offered.

The pink-haired girl sighed. "I wasn't going to say that."

"…In other words, you need to be there to keep him in line."

Tamao nodded, slightly surprised at the declaration but pleased all the same. "Exactly."

Hao observed her thoughtfully for a moment, then stretched his arms and yawned again. "Lucky guy, eh?" He commented, referring to Horohoro. "If he's got you, he couldn't ask for anything more now, could he?"

She could feel a slight blush stain her cheeks. She and Horohoro were _best_ friends, period. That's what she believed in.

And yet for some reason, Hao's statement shook _that_ belief. _There's a limit to how friends treat and regard each other. Horo-sempai and I, we've never crossed that limit…have we?_

A certain part of her was threatening to answer _yes, yes you have, lots of times._

"Anyway, does he intend to walk all the way from his house to here?" Hao asked, breaking through her musings.

"Um. Well," Tamao looked at him, wondering the same thing. She and Horohoro didn't exactly talk about that.

"Hm." Hao took the silence as a yes, his eyebrow rising slightly in concern. "…Does he also intend to have the two of you walk from here all the way to school?"

"I don't know," she answered honestly.

Hao slapped his forehead with exasperation. "Great. That's just great. You don't know, and I'm sure _he_ doesn't know either." He gave her a dismayed look. "How could you let this happen? How could _he_ let this happen?"

"Um…I don't know?" She said again. It wasn't like she could have said anything else in this situation, anyway…and yes, actually…she was supposed to be smart and yet…how come she forgot to think about this?

"Look," Hao was now pacing back and forth along the front porch, rubbing his forehead the whole way, "I don't really care about him. If he wants to go to the Prom and back on foot, that's fine with me. But…" he gazed at her seriously, "he's not going to drag _you_ along with him. Not if I have anything to say about it."

"But…Hao-niisan, how—"

"I don't know either," he interrupted. "I only have one first class Spirit of Fire, and Yoh and Anna are using that one, so it's out of the question." He sighed with irritation. "Damn, I'm really going to kill him when he gets here."

"Hao-niisan," she began, "I don't really mind walking—"

"No." He said firmly. "If I say no, then NO. Okay? No objections." A pause. "There's no way I'm going to let you walk all over town like that…and if I have to force him to carry you all the way from here to school and back, then I WILL." He gave her a look. "Understood?"

Tamao nodded meekly.

"Good. Now," Hao crossed his arms over his chest, and stood in front of the porch like a sentry, "where the _hell_ is he?"

-

Pausing abruptly, Horohoro paused to sneeze, wiped his nose with a tissue, and then broke off into a dash once more. It was over fifteen minutes since he left his house, and right now, he was running late, for obvious reasons. Every five seconds, he couldn't help but mentally scold himself for being stupid enough to take his time in waiting for Pilica, and in lecturing Ren. He should have just made a list of do's and don'ts in the first place. If he had, then all he would have needed to do was slap the list in Ren's face and then go. But nooo…he just had to be overprotective.

Not that it was his own fault. It was just that seeing his sister together with Ren earlier made him forget about everything, for some reason. Why if he could, he would have attached himself to Pilica in order to guard her against Ren's sticky hands the whole night. Something was different tonight; he could feel it.

The second Pilica reminded him of Tamao, he was brought back to his senses. He had promised to pick her up—_and_ he had promised to pick her up exactly at seven. Now that he thought about it, "exactly seven" would have been possible if and only if he had left the house at around six-thirty at least. Tamao's house was way on the other side of town, just a few blocks from Ren and Lyserg's neighborhood. But from Horohoro's house, it takes around ten minutes by bicycle.

Now that he thought about it, why in the hell hadn't he thought about commissioning transportation for him and Tamao just for this day? It wouldn't have taken much work. His father _did_ have a car he could have borrowed. If he had been smarter in planning all this then he could have _asked_ for permission, but noo…and it was too late, because his father had taken the car earlier in the day and was probably off doing slave work for Ren's dad. His other option would have been to ask either Lyserg or Ren, but the two were on the way to the Prom now, so it was more than a little too late.

He cursed himself mentally. Ten minutes by bike. By _bike_. Just how much difference was there between riding his bike to Tamao's house and _walking_ to get there? He was stupid enough to forget. _Just what guy in his right mind would allow a lady in a dress to ride a bike to the Prom?_ Obviously, he wasn't in his right mind. _This_ was first and foremost thing he should have thought about.

_Well, it's too late now._ Running was his final and desperate option. He could rival a bike with his speed, and he could run several kilometers without breaking much sweat, but…the problem was when he gets to Tamao's house. What will he do—carry her in his arms and then run in that condition?

Horohoro broke into a stop at that thought. _Actually, if I were desperate enough, that wouldn't be such a bad idea. IF I were desperate, but I'm not…not yet. I mean, the way I'm going, I can get there within eight minutes. And within that time period, nothing bad could possibly happen…_

Just when he was about to break into a run again, a car zoomed by, running over a puddle of water in the process…

…And as luck would have it, splashing Horohoro's pristine white Prom clothing with dirty, muddy water in the process.

Horohoro glanced at his clothes, at the puddle of water, at his clothes again, and then finally, at the sky.

_Things can't possibly get any worse than this._

-

"Seven-twenty-three," Hao announced, tapping his watch meaningfully and flashing Tamao a look. "…Pray tell me: does he _actually_ intend to get here, or is he just making fun of you?"

Tamao's eyes widened. "Make _fun_ of me…? Horo-sempai will never do that. _Never_," she punctuated her statement with a vigorous shake of her head.

"Oh?" He raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "How can you be sure of that? I mean for all you know, right now he could be hiding at that corner over there," he gestured at the front gates of the Asakura Estate, "and laughing his heart out. At _your_ expense. I've seen it happen before, _believe_ me."

"_Hao-niisan_!" Her eyes widened with horror. "Horo-sempai would never ever _ever_ make fun of me!" She said defensively. "I admit that he can be a bit…_stupid_ sometimes, but that's as far as it goes! He would _never_ hurt anyone, not on _purpose_! He's a very, very _kind_ person!" Her eyes flashed brightly as she said this. "…And more to the _point_, he'll never ever ever make fun of _anyone_!"

"…_Especially_ not _you_." Hao said dryly.

"That's right!" Tamao agreed with conviction. Then, when she realized what exactly Hao had said, her cheeks flamed. "I mean, not me _especially_, but…people in general! Horo-sempai isn't the type to do that kind of thing!"

Hao let out a laugh. "I know." He patted her head fondly. "I was teasing you."

She frowned at him. "It's not very nice to say such things, Hao-niisan."

A shrug. "I know."

Her brows furrowed. "…Then why did you?"

"To rile you up?" He suggested. "Like I told you earlier: I'm _bored_." He yawned for emphasis. "If he doesn't get here any sooner, I'll either fall asleep, die of boredom, or kill you with my stupid smart-ass comments." A grin.

"I told you, you really don't have to wait for me…"

"AND I told you that no matter what happens, I will _wait_." This time, his voice was firm. "As your big brother, it's _my_ responsibility to give him a thorough beating and tongue-lashing once he gets here. _If_ he intends to get here," he added with a small frown.

"He'll be here for sure," Tamao said confidently. "He's just a little late…"

"A LITTLE? I wouldn't call twenty-five minutes just a _little_ late, you know."

"Uh. You've got a point." Actually, for the length of time she's known Horohoro, she never remembered him ever being _this_ late, every single time they had to meet.

_Then again, this isn't just any other meeting, is it? It's a very special one, because he's meeting with you. Perhaps that's the reason, don't you think…?_

"Does he have a cell phone?" Hao's voice broke through her thoughts once again. "…He _does_, right?" He gave her a "if-you-say-he-doesn't-I-won't-believe-you" look.

"Yes. Yes, but—"

"Don't tell me he doesn't _use_ it?!" Hao's eyes were wide in horrified amazement.

"…He _does_! Sometimes. I mean rarely. I mean…he's always in a hurry when we have school, so he always forgets to take it with him—"

"What's his number?"

"—so, if I'm guessing it correctly, he's probably in a hurry right now and on his way here, so I'm thinking he might have forgotten—"

"Tamao." Hao tapped her forehead and gave her a firm look. "His _number_. Give it to me." He seemed to have produced a cell phone from out of nowhere. "I can't _believe_ I didn't think of this _earlier_, but anyway…you _do_ know it, right?" He held out the expensive looking black phone to her.

She took the phone hesitantly, punched in the numbers and handed it back to him. "Hao-niisan, I told you, he might not have brought it with him and—"

He raised a finger to shush her. "_Quiet_." He pushed the speaker button, thereby allowing Tamao to hear the ring at the receiving end of the line. Her Horo-sempai's end. She remained in silence, glancing warily at her Hao-niisan as a dark smile gradually began to spread across his face.

Much to the surprise of the both of them, at the third ring, a voice answered. "Yeah?" Horo-sempai. "Who's this?" Oh yeah, it was _definitely_ him.

Definitely him, and…was he _panting_?

"Hn." Hao sneered. In a voice only Tamao could hear, he muttered, "You are _so_ _dead_, my dear boy."

-

_I hate running. Since when have I ever liked running? I hate it. I hate it, hate it, hate it…_

After dashing hastily back to his house, changing into clean white Prom clothing (luckily his mother had bought two pairs of the white pants and two of the formal shirt for him), Horohoro again proceeded to run. Right now, every second counted and _right now_, he had no time to lose. Still, he really _really_ had to think of how the heck he was going to take Tamao to the Prom. What other options did he have?

…Bike? _Take her to the Prom on bike, are you kidding? You've really lost it, haven't you? Some former-soccer-star-turned-school-paper-chief you are…_

Again, Horo was reminded of how much he hated running.

No actually, he _liked_ running, didn't he? That was the reason he had played soccer in the first place—because of the _running_ involved in it, right? And if he hadn't become a soccer player, he would have probably been on the track team. More importantly, if he didn't have that _stupid accident_ the previous year, he would still be playing soccer right now.

_Quit reminiscing about the past, you idiot. Remember the current situation. Remember the current problem. _

…_And oh yeah, did I mention that I really hate running?_

If he could have kicked himself on the head right now, he would have. But he contented himself on running, at lightning-fast speed, as a way to punish himself. He took notice of his surroundings briefly, realizing that he was already halfway to Tamao's home. He patted himself mentally on the back for his impressive running skills.

_None too shabby, for a retired high school soccer star. Why, if you go on like this, you can easily go back to the team, lead it to nationals again, and then get the Most Valuable Player title again…_

He really, really, _really_ should kick himself on the head right now. What the _heck _was he doing, dreaming about going back to the soccer team when he should be _thinking _about more important things? Like the _Prom_. Like his current transportation dilemma. Like Tamao.

_Tamao._ The truth was, he didn't want to think about her, or about any of it. _Thinking_ meant admitting to himself how many mistakes he had made the whole day. _Thinking_ meant admitting to himself that he was a failure in this whole Prom-date-planning thing. _Thinking_ meant admitting to himself that he was probably going to disappoint Tamao again, as if she weren't disappointed enough in him already.

_Thinking_ meant admitting to himself that, not only did he have the worst kind of luck, but that he _himself_ was the worst kind of person there ever was in this world.

Yes. _Thinking_ meant all sorts of things, with practically all of them being mainly _bad_ things. Actually, Tamao was the only _good_ thing about all this. Or scratch that, she was the _best_ thing. The most wonderful thing about her was that, no matter how much of a failure, no matter how unlucky, and even if he was the _worst_ kind of person in the world…she would still accept him. She would still smile and say _okay, it's all right_. That, despite his many failures, his _mistakes_…she would still forgive him. In fact, even _now_, even if he was…more than twenty minutes late, she was probably still waiting for him. And with a _smile_, nonetheless. She was _that_ type of person.

_That's the strangest thing. I love _that _about her, and yet at the same time, I hate it too. _That _part of her. Because it makes me realize even more how much of a failure I really am._

In other words, to him, Tamao was a double-edged sword.

…Or that was probably just his imagination.

Anyway, whether it was true or not, he just _couldn't_ stay away from her. _She_ was as much as part of his life as Pilica was.

And speaking of which, _that_ little sister of his was a double-edged sword, too…

_RRRRRINNNGGG!!! RRRRRINNNGGG!!!_

With only about one fourth of his total distance from Tamao's house left remaining, something started vibrating and ringing inside his pocket, freezing him in his tracks. Something that sounded like…

…_My cell phone!? So that's where it was! What's it doing in my pocket?!?_

Horohoro remembered, vaguely, that his mother had slipped something inside his pocket before he went out—_that_ was probably it. His cell phone.

He shrugged. Like he really had _time_ to answer his phone at the moment. Ignoring the stupid vibrating and ringing, he began to run again…

_RRRRRINNNGGG!!! RRRRRINNNGGG!!!_

"Dammit," he muttered. Left with no choice, he decided that running even as he answered the phone was his only option. Raising the phone to his ear, he pushed the "answer" button. "Yeah?" He didn't know how he was managing to run while holding the phone, but he pulled it off. "Who's this?"

"…YOU IDIOT!!!" A loud blaring male voice shouted from the receiver, practically bursting his eardrum. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!? WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!? DO YOU EVEN INTEND TO GET HERE?!? I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!!"

Horohoro had instantly frozen in his spot at the second he heard the voice. He recognized it from somewhere, but… "Who are you?" His eardrum was still ringing.

The person on the other end didn't answer his question. "I'm going to KILL YOU for making TAMAO wait!" The voice was threatening, sharp, and…why, if he didn't _know_ better, he'd say that it was actually Kyouyama Anna, Tamao's cousin, only…with a _male_ voice.

_Anna with a male voice?!?_ He really was losing it. "Eh? Who are you?" He asked again.

He heard something that sounded like a growl at the other end of the line. "It's HAO, you FUCKING IDIOT."

"Oooh…" _That's _why the voice sounded so familiar. Hao's voice was distinctly similar to Yoh's, except for a few minor nuances. Particularly, the tone and vocabulary. Hao's voice held a tinge of _arrogance_ to it, while Yoh's held none; and also, Hao's vocabulary was much more…_colorful_. Horohoro knew for a fact that there was no way he'd ever find Yoh talking like _this_.

_Actually, that's not the current problem, is it?!? _"Wait a _second_…what are you doing with Tamao?!?"

"What do you THINK I'm DOING, you STUPID MORON?! I'm TRYING to ENSURE that she GETS to the Prom SAFELY. Where the HELL are YOU?!"

Horohoro cringed. He had no idea that Hao could be really, _really_ loud when he was angry. Not that he really would have ever cared to find out, but…well, apparently he was finding out now.

_So, basically, I have two enemies. One, the overprotective and homicidal cousin slash older sister Kyouyama Anna; two, the overprotective and freakily animalistic and possibly homicidal self-proclaimed older brother Asakura Hao…not that this really is the time to be thinking about these things._ "I'm three blocks away. _Stop_ shouting at me! I'm on my way there."

"Well GOOD!" Hao ignored him and shouted again. "Now listen CAREFULLY: If you don't GET your GOD-DARNED sad SORRY FREAKING fucking INTELLECTUALLY-CHALLENGED SELF over HERE in under TWO MINUTES I am GOING to RAM my EXPENSIVE leather BOOTS down YOUR ESOPHAGUS, you GOT THAT?!?!?"

Horohoro gulped. Okay…one thing he _definitely_ knew for sure: that threatening-and-seriously-scary tone did _not_ exist in the least bit in Yoh's voice. Hao definitely sounded like he really could _kill_. "G…got it," he managed.

"GOOD." He could practically see Hao smiling evilly at the other end of the line. "…Now START RUNNING!!!"

At the instant Hao hung up on him, he began to run, faster than the speed of light.

-

"H-Hao-niisan!" Tamao's eyes were wide with horror as she stared back and forth between her long-haired pseudo-brother and his cell phone. "I know he's terribly late and all, but you really didn't have to threaten him like that!"

"Yes I did." Hao said matter-of-factly, pretending to examine his nails, before turning back to Tamao with a normal, innocent expression. "…To tell you frankly, I think I was a little too soft with him." He shrugged. "I should have given him more of an ultimatum…like say, threatened to tear him from limb to limb and feed him to vultures and whatnot." He paused, thoughtfully. "Or maybe I should have threatened to cut off his—"

"Hao-niisan!!!" Tamao covered her ears in attempt to block off any more of Hao's utterly barbaric and murderous intents towards her Horo-sempai. Overly or not, surely Horo did not deserve to be submitted to any of Hao's punishments! Certainly not!

Hao must have seen the expression on her face, for his face softened visibly, and he flashed her a warm, reassuring smile. "…Actually, on second thought…"

Tamao looked up at him hopefully. "…On second thought…?"

A second later, that familiar evil grin came back to Hao's face. "…Perhaps I should just mention the word 'castration' so he'd come running right over here in a f—"

Just then, a white blur with a sky-blue top rushed past Hao, nearly running him over as it went straight to Tamao.

"I'm SORRY I'm SORRY I came here as fast as I could I'm really SORRY Please forgive me I didn't mean to be this late and I know that's no excuse but I'm really _really_ SORRY I didn't really do this on purpose I'M SORRY PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!!" And there he was, Tamao's sempai. Her knight in shining armor. Currently down on the ground, in front of her. On bended knees.

…And with the heel of a shiny dark boot digging on top of his head.

"Hao-niisan!!!" Tamao was more than just horrified, she was downright terrified. Too scared to glance behind her at the owner of the boot, she focused on Horohoro instead. "S…sempai…are you…?"

"I'm fine," the blue-haired boy managed, even though he was definitely several hundred light years away from being fine. If Tamao could have guessed, she could swear he was just about ready to faint...and it was probably not due to exhaustion. She could see him taking several deep breaths. Quick, deep breaths. And then a long, long one…before he raised his eyes, swallowed, and then spoke. "Uh…Hao?"

"Yes?" That tone was sweet as sugar, but Tamao knew better. It was her Hao-niisan's trademark Tone of Death.

Swallowing once more, Horohoro pointed feebly at the boot digging on his head. "Do you mind…?"

This time, Tamao dared to look at Hao. Big mistake. His smile turned even sweeter, and he dug the boot even more viciously into Horohoro's head. "Not at all."

Horohoro winced. "I…I said I was sorry…"

"Then APOLOGIZE until you DIE."

"I…I can't do THAT!"

"And WHY NOT?!"

"HAO-NIISAN!!!" Tamao wrung her hands together, nervously approaching her pseudo-older brother and thinking up of possible ways to plead this case with him. Save Horohoro from further bodily harm…even if she had to sacrifice herself to do it. "H-Hao-niisan…" in a softer tone, she gave him a look worth a thousand million pleas. "Let him go. For…for ME. Please…"

Hao studied her thoughtfully for about half a second...and then, with an, "Okay," he promptly removed the boot that was digging into Horohoro's head and walked away.

Leaving Tamao—and most especially Horohoro—utterly surprised, yet equally relieved. They glanced at each other, then simultaneously glanced once more at Hao's departing figure. As if he had sensed them looking at him, he raised his hand in what was obviously a wave.

"Eh," as Hao's figure finally disappeared from their sight, Horohoro spoke. As he looked at Tamao now, all his remaining courage and excuse and his ability to speak coherently seemed to have left him. "Uhm. That was weird," was all he managed, in reference to Hao.

Tamao flashed him an apologetic smile. "He said he was bored," was her explanation. It was the only possible excuse for Hao's behavior, under the circumstances. And anyway, Hao was well-known for being eccentric, so…

"Uhm…" Horohoro scratched his head nervously, really at a loss for words. Heck, he couldn't even look at Tamao straight. He wasn't sure if it was because he felt so ashamed, or because she was so beautiful that looking at her hurt. It was probably a little bit of both.

"We should probably go," Tamao said suddenly, a bright smile beaming on her face. Yep, looking at her definitely hurt. Now he wanted to run away, rap his head against the wall until it bleeds, and hold her into his arms and never let go—all at the same time. "…Horo-sempai? We'll be really _really_ late if we don't go now," she went on, but he barely heard it. He was still too busy staring at her beautiful face.

And debating on which of his three options he should go with. "You did say we need to cover the whole Prom, and—" A gasp was all he head next, and he wondered why.

…Well he shouldn't have wondered _why._ He had moved on impulse, and obviously…obviously _this_ was what his body and mind had agreed to do.

"S-sempai…" Tamao's body froze in Horohoro's arms. She didn't know whether to hug him back or push him away. Instinct told her to push him away, but…she really didn't have the strength to. And she really didn't want to.

"I'm sorry," Horohoro was murmuring against her. "I'm sorry I made you wait so long. I got hold up. I know it's no excuse but..." he sighed, helplessly, "…if you don't forgive me I don't know what I'll do, so…please forgive me?"

Tamao smiled, and this time, she allowed herself to hug him back. "…Yes. Yes, I forgive you." How could she not, when he was like that?

"R…really?"

"Uh-hm," her smile widened further. "…Besides, Hao-niisan punished you enough for me."

Horohoro winced, remembering the pain of that ordeal. "Oh. Oh yeah. Right."

-

"Ne, Sempai…" Tamao began as they exited the Asakura Estate and prepared to head out.

"Hmm?"

"Um…how are we going to get to the Prom?"

And at that, Horohoro winced. _Crap._ He forgot about that.

-

-TO BE CONTINUED-

-

_A/N:_

I haven't figured out either how they're supposed to go to the Prom (sweatdrop) but I'll get there.:)

Again, if you're still reading this, you're a lot more dedicated than I am.:) So thanks thanks to you!

Again again, check my fic journal (linked up at my profile) for ffnet unposted fics. Please comment!

I won't make any promises anymore for the next chapter, just that I hope to get it out soon. Please keep posted!:)


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